Why Does Matt Lucas Have No Hair?

Hair loss is extremely common. By the time men reach the age of forty, they have a 50% chance of experiencing some hair loss. [1] For some, this will have happened gradually over the years. For others, it may come on a little more suddenly.

Even with how common hair loss is – especially in men – it’s still not that usual to see a child who has lost all of their hair. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to Matt Lucas.

Who is Matt Lucas?

Matt Lucas is best known for his career on the smaller screen (although he has also been on the big screen!). He is an English actor, writer, TV presenter, and comedian, with his hit show Little Britain making him a household name. In the comedy show, he played various characters, from Marjorie David to Daffyd Thomas. While he often wore wigs for these roles, he had no hair in real life.

Since writing and starring in Little Britain, Matt Lucas has enjoyed a fantastic career, to the point it’s hard to imagine he ever experienced any hardships. He played Tweedledee and Tweedledum in the hit Tim Burton movie Alice in Wonderland, starred alongside Kirsten Wiig in Bridesmaids, and, more recently, has graced the smaller screens of many British homes while presenting The Great British Bake Off. Matt Lucas’s baldness clearly never stopped him, and he’s certainly not going anywhere!

Why is Matt Lucas Bald?

Matt Lucas has a very severe form of alopecia known as alopecia universalis. This happened to him when he was only six years old. Initially, it was thought to be because of an accident in which Lucas got run over by a car as a child: [2]

“My distraught father ran over, picked me up off the ground, swore at the driver, kicked the car, and carried me off.”

While Matt Lucas didn’t instantly lose his hair, his hair did begin falling out a couple of years later.

“Two years later, in 1980, aged six, I woke up one morning to find several hairs on my pillow. The next day the same thing happened, only this time there were a lot more. By the end of that summer, all my hair had fallen out.”

Doctors at the time suggested that he had experienced shock alopecia, also known as telogen effluvium, which occurs after a person has gone through a highly stressful experience. However, doctors later said that this likely isn’t what happened to Matt Lucas. Instead, doctors said his hair loss was likely the result of his overactive immune system, which also caused his severe allergies and asthma. Unfortunately, a hair loss treatment for this is a lot tricker compared to male pattern baldness, which is likely why Matt Lucas hasn’t been able to regrow his hair.

Matt Lucas’s Hair Loss Over the Years

Matt Lucas is a rare case. While many men experience hair loss at some point in their lives, Matt Lucas had to deal with it very early on. Here’s a look at Matt Lucas’s alopecia and hair loss over the years.

As a Young Child

As a young child, Matt Lucas had a head full of hair. His hair was often in the style of a bowl cut.

The Beginning of Hair Loss

Some pictures show Matt Lucas as a young child when he started to lose his hair (when he was around six years old). His hair looks much thinner here, but it’s not entirely gone.

Losing All His Hair

At the age of six, Matt Lucas lost all of his hair, including the hair on his eyebrows. This would have been a very traumatic thing for a young child to go through, especially when it’s so rare, and all of the other kids at school would have had full heads of hair.

Starring in Little Britain

Matt Lucas became a star on Little Britain. He was still bald during this time, but he often wore wigs as his characters, and he also drew on eyebrows. When he wasn’t in front of the camera playing a character, though, he was still completely bald.

Growing his First Moustache in 2021

At the age of 46, Matt Lucas grew his first-ever moustache! He shared the news on social media, snapping a pic to share with the world. Naturally, his post contained some humour, as his caption read,

“I don’t have eyebrows, so it looks a bit weird.” [3]

Matt Lucas has never shied away from making fun of himself! Still, it was great to see that he was able to grow hair after so long. It’s a definite achievement.

Matt Lucas Today

In 2024, Matt Lucas is still on our screens. He embraces his bald look – he doesn’t have any hair, and he’s okay with it. In fact, it gives him a signature look!

How Did Matt Lucas’s Alopecia Affect Him?

While Matt Lucas is undeniably comfortable in his skin today, that doesn’t mean he was always content with his appearance. Losing his hair at age six affected him. At school, he was often bullied for having no hair, “Others who had previously called me Matthew now yelled “Baldy!” as I passed by. Or “Skinhead” or “Slaphead” – but mainly “Baldy”.” [2]

It’s not all sad news, though. As he got older, Matt Lucas’s alopecia was not a barrier; he embraced the bald look, and it even let him flourish. He’s clearly thankful that he experienced his hair loss, as he may not have had the career he has today without it!

Do Other Celebrities Have Alopecia?

There are other celebrities dealing with alopecia. The most common type of alopecia is alopecia areata, which is the type that Jada Pinkett-Smith has. She has been quite open about her hair loss over the years. In her early career, she had a full head of hair – nowadays, she’s seen sporting and fully embracing the bald look.

Why Didn’t Matt Lucas Get a Hair Transplant?

For many men who experienced thinning or baldness, hair transplant surgery is an option – one that’s come a long way over the years. In the previous century, a hair transplant meant obvious-looking plugs, but nowadays, the FUE method produces natural results, to the point you can’t even tell when someone’s had one done.

So, why didn’t Matt Lucas get a hair transplant? The answer is quite simple. The extent of Matt Lucas’s hair loss is significant, and he had no hair to act as a donor area. A typical hair transplant extracts healthy hair follicles from another section of the head, but Matt Lucas simply didn’t have this.

Other Hair Loss Treatments

Of course, a hair transplant isn’t the only hair loss treatment Matt Lucas may have tried. There are other hair restoration options, including Minoxidil, Finasteride, low-level-laser therapy, and certain steroids.

However, it’s clear that none of these worked for Matt Lucas. Instead, he has had to embrace his lack of hair. He tried to search for a cure, but there was none for him, unfortunately. He even went through acupuncture to try and cure his alopecia.

Could a Hair Transplant Help You?

If, like Matt Lucas, you have experienced total hair loss, then a hair transplant is likely not the best route. There are other options, from medications to wigs, to help you feel more confident in your skin.

On the other hand, if you have experienced hair loss or thinning but still have a healthy donor area (usually at the back or the side of your head), a hair transplant may be a good option for you. To know for sure, you can book a no-obligation consultation using our hair track app or by booking on our website. We can come up with a hair restoration treatment option that works best for your hair and goals.

Matt Lucas’s Alopecia Didn’t Stop Him

Losing your hair as a child is never easy. Thankfully, Matt Lucas’s alopecia never stopped him from reaching for the stars. He has had a fantastic career in the TV and comedy business, becoming a much-loved household name. Not only did he not let alopecia stop him, he even embraced it. His lack of hair allowed him to easily transform into a variety of characters of Little Britain!

Matt Lucas Alopecia: In Summary

Matt Lucas went through alopecia universalis when he was only six-years-old, which shaped his life. After trying a bunch of hair restoration methods, it was clear that his baldness was going to stick with him. Fortunately, that didn’t stop his incredible career; he still went on to write and star in Little Britain, and today, he can be seen cheering the bakers up on The Great British Bake Off.

Have you experienced hair loss? If so, a hair loss treatment like a hair transplant may be the best solution. Here at Harley Street Hair Clinic, we have helped many patients restore their hair and confidence. Check out our patients gallery to see what we can do!

Sources:

1. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/male-pattern-baldness
2. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/oct/08/matt-lucas-losing-my-hair-at-the-age-of-six-shaped-my-life-little-me-my-life-from-a-z
3. https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/matt-lucas-grows-first-ever-23438367