Last Updated on January 5, 2021 by Robert Price

I think it’s safe to assume that Steve Carell had a hair transplant sometime after the first season of The Office was filmed. His hair appeared to be rapidly thinning during that first season. But then, just before his career went into the stratosphere with the hit film, The Forty Year Old Virgin, his locks were magically restored.

Here’s Carell in one of the later seasons of The Office. Compared to the first picture, I’d say that’s a major improvement on the follicular front, no doubt!

Did Steve Carell have a hair transplant, is he sporting a toupee, or did he purposely exaggerate his hair loss (if applicable) during that first season of The Office? I’ll address all your questions momentarily!

This short article will also discuss…

• The type of procedure he most likely opted to have, assuming he indeed “fixed” his hair.
• The probable cost of his transformation…
• When he likely had his transplant done (I was so wrong about this!).
• What the readers who berated me in the comment section were right (and wrong) about.
• The treatments Carell may be using to mitigate further hair loss.
• How his hair transformation affected his career. Could he have been successful without it?!
• Plus much more.

Now that the intro is complete, let’s dive right into the first, most critical question…

Is It a Toupee or Transplant? Or Just Makeup?!

That’s the question. This isn’t 1960, and good hair systems are usually undetectable. So it’s certainly possible Carell opted for a hairpiece of some kind over transplantation, however, a hair transplant seems like a far more likely scenario.

Why?

Because Steve Carell has sported a decent variety of looks over the years, and hair systems can limit a person in terms of their styling options. Also, he had enough hair prior to his probable transplant to achieve favorable results — but if he had waited too much longer, it could have possibly been too late.

Readers have also stated that Carell indicated that he used makeup to exacerbate his hair loss, if applicable, in behind-the-scenes footage taken from the first season of The Office. However, photos of him from his Daily Show years appear to show some pronounced recession that is no longer apparent today, as well as evidence of thinning in the front, so I still tend to believe he had some work done — and more power to him.

Carell on the Daily Show.

Wait…I Was Wrong. He Actually (Likely) Had Work Done Prior to The Office

In the comment section, a number of readers mentioned that Carell used makeup to “make him look bald” in that first season of The Office. They claimed he never had a transplant.

Some of them seemed quite offended by my article. One person went so far as to say that my work was “the the reason that false information is able to spread,” which seemed a bit over the top, perhaps.

Anyway, they did have a valid point. They were correct in that it appears that Carell did indeed use a product to make him appear balder than he was on that famous first season of the show.

However, I also believe they were mistaken in their contention that he didn’t have a hair transplant.

The evidence is below. Apologies for the quality of these images. I couldn’t find any great pictures of Carell from this era on the internet, so I had to create screenshots myself.

Carell in 2001

Carell in a 2001 Daily Show segment. I don’t recall his hair ever looking this receded on The Office — aside from that first season — or anytime since. Notice the thinning alongside his temporal point (above his sideburn).

Carell in 2003

The additional density is apparent here, in spite of the image quality.

So, my hypothesis, for what it’s worth is this: Carell had some work done between 2001 and 2003. It’s possible he had another procedure done after his initial one, but I believe the bulk of his transformation likely took place in the early 2000s.

With that “controversy” section out of the way, let’s move on and cover the next question you may be asking yourself.

What Type of Hair Transplant Did Carell Have (if applicable)?

As of 2021, there are two primary types of hair restoration procedures: FUT and FUE.

FUT stands for follicular unit transplant. It’s a strip surgery, where a surgeon removes a small “strip” of hair from the patient’s donor area (along the back and sides of the scalp).

About the Donor/Dr. Phil Zone

I sometimes refer to the donor zone as the “Dr. Phil zone.” It’s that small “fringe” region on the scalp, where even the baldest of guys tend not to lose hair. A certain percentage of hairs from this area can typically be “harvested” for transplantation, if desired.

FUT isn’t quite as popular as it used to be, primarily because it’s a legitimate surgery that requires a few weeks of recovery time and leaves a prominent scar on the back of the scalp; it should be noted that the scar typically isn’t visible unless the FUT patient has very short hair.

A classic FUT, “smiley faced” scar. This scar would most likely not be visible if the patient had a reasonable amount (say 1/2 inch or more) of hair.

Many men still opt to have FUT procedures today, especially men with significant hair loss, as the procedure is known to deliver superior coverage overall.

FUE stands for follicular unit excision. It’s the most commonly performed procedure as of 2021 and requires considerably less post-op recovery time than an FUT procedure. The 0ther major benefit of the FUE procedure is that it leaves no obvious scar, as long as the procedure is done correctly.

Hairs extracted via the FUE method may be of a slightly lesser quality overall compared to hairs extracted via an FUT procedure. Transection (cutting) occurs more frequently to hairs extracted during FUE procedures, and some grafts may be lost as a result.

Surgeons also typically must remove hairs from larger areas during follicular unit extractions, sometimes along the outer edges of the donor supply, where hairs are more susceptible to thinning over time. Comparatively, the FUT method removes a “strip” of hairs from the middle section of the donor supply, where our hairs tend to be the healthiest and strongest overall.

Even with those FUT advantages in mind, I think it’s still more likely Carell opted for an FUE procedure due to his busy career and the fact that it’s a considerably more convenient option overall. Also, the fact that he appeared to be experiencing mild to moderate hair loss, as opposed to severe balding, make the FUE seem like the more probable choice in his case.

Considering a hair transplant for yourself?

Check out the fun infographic below before you go under the knife!

See this article to review all 10 dirty and inconvenient truths about hair transplants.

How Much Did Carell’s Hair Transplant (if applicable, again!)  Cost? 

The average cost for a hair transplant in the US is somewhere between 5 and 15 thousand dollars, depending primarily on two factors:

• The surgeon
• The patient’s degree of hair loss (see the chart below).

The Norwood Scale for Hair Loss

Carell appeared to be on the milder end of the hair loss spectrum. The less hair loss a patient has, the less grafts they’ll need for their procedure — and less grafts typically means less money. Check out my full post on the Norwood scale for additional details.

I imagine Carell chose a premier surgeon for his hypothetical procedure and that the price tag exceeded $15,000, but I could easily be mistaken.

Is Carell Taking Any Medications to Protect His Locks?

It’s certainly possible Carell is taking a medication like finasteride to prevent further hair loss. I believe he even joked about his hair gains on the show and mentioned Propecia, the brand-name version of the drug, by name! I didn’t include Carell in my list of 8 celebrity finasteride users, because no evidence exists to suggest that uses the treatment in real-life.

FDA-approved and highly effective, finasteride can generally halt or dramatically slow down the balding process in about 90% of guys.

The medication has become somewhat controversial in recent years, as a small percentage of users have reported persistent, sexual side effects. Overall, the drug has an excellent safety profile, but many young men are hesitant to take it due to the potential side effects.

Other treatments Carell — or someone facing a similar follicular situation — may use include minoxidil and laser therapy.  If you’d like to learn more about the best ways to attack hair loss, the article below may interest you.

Discover the top hair loss treatments of 2021. No snake oils or magic potions are included on the list.

15 Grand into 25 Million Dollars!

Hair has been a major asset for Mr. Carell, for sure. Granted, he probably paid more than $15,000 for his transplant and opted for a Cadillac procedure from one of the best surgeons in the country. But I digress!

His net worth is now about 50 million dollars, according to Celebrity Net Worth. How much of that $50 million does he “owe” to his hair transplant, assuming he had one? About half of it, in my opinion!

Of course I’m being a tad facetious, and it’s unfortunate we live in such a shallow society. But I can’t see any scenario where Carell, a slightly above-average looking, unassuming, middle-aged actor, becomes a genuine Hollywood star without “fixing” his hair.

This has more to do with the free market than anything. Bald and balding men are often viewed as older than they are. And of course, a shaved head can be intimidating — just take one look at the Rock or Vin Diesel!

Hair is a symbol of youth, and Hollywood stars cling to their youth like Pennsylvania voters cling to their guns and religion.

Elon Musk is another celebrity who famously has much more hair today than he had in the past. See this post on Elon’s hair transformation for additional details.

Hair is not going to be a huge factor in determining a person’s success or failure in most fields.

Acting is clearly an exception, that’s just the cold, hard, bald truth of the matter.

Speaking of bald, if you’re feeling brave, check out my next featured article to find out how you’d look without your locks!

Closing Thoughts – Carell Looks Fantastic!

I think it’s important not to judge people. And whether or not someone gets a transplant, face lift, boob job, or whatever, that’s their business. Bald is sexy too, sure, but a bald Steve Carell would be a much less-famous Steve Carell, who almost certainly couldn’t afford a mansion in the Hollywood Hills. I believe he owes his success, in part, to his theoretical investment in himself and his hair. I bet it was, if applicable, the best 15-25k he ever spent! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, but feel free to chime in if you disagree.

Robert Price

Robert Price is a writer, consumer advocate, and hair loss researcher with thousands of hours of experience in the field. His goal is to keep you out of the hair loss rabbit hole, underworld, or whatever you want to call it. He founded Hair Loss Daily, the unbiased hair loss blog, in 2016. You can learn more about Robert in the my story section of this website.