A Hair Stylist Uncovers the Solution To Bad Hair Days

Tommy Bagwell was having a bad hair day.

Really, he was having a bad hair year.

The now-42-year-old’s receding hairline was accentuating what he considered to be a forehead that was too large, and he was having to style his hair to cover up the problem areas instead of wearing it the way he wanted. “You find yourself getting your hair cut around your issues rather than how you’d really like it to be,” Bagwell says. “That wasn’t making me happy.”

His concerns went beyond his looks, though. The Denver native is a hairstylist and co-owner of Fleur Salon in Capitol Hill, and bad hair days can be bad for business.

Bagwell tried over-the-counter products for about a year to try to slow down the hair loss, but he wasn’t seeing any significant improvement. So, with a friend’s recommendation and a lot of online research, he set up a consultation with Dr. James Harris, director of the Hair Sciences Center of Colorado (HSC) in Greenwood Village.

“Dr. Harris just had the best results,” Bagwell says. “I was really impressed with how knowledgeable and friendly and comfortable everybody made me feel.”

Dr. Harris is an internationally recognized hair transplant surgeon who has successfully performed thousands of hair transplant procedures. He is known for his innovative solutions to hair restoration, including his integral work helping to develop the ARTAS robot, which uses algorithms to select the right hair follicles to create the best results for each patient. HSC offers a myriad of services, from eyebrow transplants to eyelash transplants to non-surgical hair restoration treatments. (Check out these hair transplant before-and-after photos.)

Dr. Harris also invented and patented the Harris S.A.F.E™ (Surgically Advanced Follicular Extraction) System that was used on Bagwell. The doctor recommended harvesting 1,500 follicular unit grafts from the sides and back of Bagwell’s head to fill in his frontal hairline and temple area. Bagwell was sedated with twilight anesthesia during the painless, all-day procedure. He was able to return to work within four days and felt comfortable going without a hat in less than a week. “Immediately, I could see my new hairline,” Bagwell says. “He [Dr. Harris] was able to create the hairline I always thought I should have had in the first place… It wasn’t just restoring what was lost—it was restoring the hairline to be more correctly balanced for my face shape.” Dr. Harris’ proprietary technique also meant Bagwell wasn’t left with any visible scarring. “It’s so natural,” Bagwell says. “It’s perfect.”

Bagwell has been styling hair since he was 18 years old, and the hair-restoration procedure at HSC revived his confidence and returned his sense of freedom over his hairstyle. Now, he wants other men to know it’s OK to talk about—and seek help for—hair loss. “As men we’re really taught not to be vain, like vain is a negative word, and I don’t think that’s right. It’s almost like men are taught we’re supposed to let ourselves go and that’s how it is—accept it with grace,” Bagwell says. “I just don’t believe in that. Taking care of yourself isn’t vain in a negative way. It’s feeling good about yourself. It’s feeling confident. It’s seeing yourself [in the mirror] the way you see yourself in your head… This is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.”

So, who does Bagwell see in the mirror? It depends on the day. Currently, it’s a guy with a shorter, textured cut to counteract the summer heat. When fall arrives, he may grow it out into a pompadour. He hasn’t decided yet. He’s just grateful he has options.

Get In Touch: Do hair transplants work? Check out the hair transplant before-and-after photos on the HSC website. Or, if you’re concerned about hair loss, contact Dr. Harris for a consultation by calling 303-694-9381 or filling out the online contact form. Learn more about the hair restoration process by following HSC’s YouTube channel.

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