Just under a year-and-a-half ago I had a hair transplant.

I covered the process in a feature-length story shortly after I had the procedure, when the freshly planted grafts of hair were still settling in.

But to recap, going bald bothered me. I didn't like the look of my hairline in the mirror and it definitely made me feel insecure.

For men, the idea of undergoing cosmetic treatment can be something of taboo subject. But I don't see why. I wanted to look and feel better, so, just like former Manchester United and England footballer Wayne Rooney , I did something about it.

The procedure I underwent at Farjo Hair Institution was simple to speak - hair grafts (1300 in my case) were carefully removed from the back of my head and relocated to my forehead (the area in need).

I was in and out of the clinic in a day. Local anaesthetic was injected into the front and back of my scalp so I felt nothing. Of course, later on my head felt a little heavy and numb. But the care at Farjo Hair Institute was immense.

My post-procedure instructions were simple: wash my head using a flannel (and the shampoo they provided me with), rest up, and don't bang my head!

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As an amateur Sunday League footballer I was also instructed to not head a football for four weeks.

The red and raw spots you can see in the images died down after a week and after two they began to scab over. This, I would say, is the first time you have a real idea of what your new hairline looks like. And with the tiny hairs poking out it looks great.

But jubilation soon turned to despair when the scabs fell out and took the hair with it. You feel as though you're back to square one. And even though Bessam Farjo warned me about this, it still caught me by surprise.

But those reading do not fear, the grafts were still neatly embedded and simply taking time to grow. At first I started counting the new hairs as they came through, then after a while I gave up as more and more naturally emerged.

The process is slow and sometimes you don't realise how far you've come until you see the difference in a photo.

The hair at first was fine and wirey, but after time it thickened. Hair needs time to grow. Imagine you have planted seeds of grass, at first the shoots seem thin and sparse, but soon the grass thickens and strengthens. Nothing has been added to make it look any better, it's simply now adult grass.

Now, a year-and-a-half on, I couldn't be happier. When comparing pictures the difference is astounding. I feel more confident in myself and enjoy styling my hair again. When photos are being taken of me I no longer need to concern myself about posing a certain way or worry about the results.

It's been a real game changer and I totally understand why footballers have them done.

Mirror Online Thomas Bristow goes behind the scenes of a hair transplant

I could go back to work on some other areas, but that would simply be from a vanity angle. I don't need one like I felt I once did.

Yes, £7,500 is a lot of money. But you can't put a price on happiness.

Want to learn more? Book a consultation with the Farjo Hair Institute here.