My Bosley Story: Matt Zipko

Every Bosley hair transplant has a unique story behind it. In this new series, we’re going beyond the before-and-after photos to highlight the emotional, physical, and personal transformation that happens when you get your real hair back. We sat down with Bosley patient Matt Zipko, who got an FUE hair transplant at the Bosley Chicago office a little over a year ago. Let’s get to know Matt!

First off – tell us a little about yourself!

I’m Matt Zipko, I’m 42 and live in Crown Point Winfield, Indiana, about 30 miles from Chicago. I work in downtown Chicago as an accountant. In my spare time, I also do theatre – I’m currently rehearsing Shakespeare’s ‘Comedy of Errors’ and I’m a board member at a local community theatre.

Now, let’s go back to before you got your procedure done. What was your experience with hair loss?
Even before I started losing hair, I knew hair loss ran in my father’s side but not my mom’s side – her father still had a full head of hair. So I hoped I’d take after my mom’s side, but that didn’t happen. In my case, I started noticing my hair thinning by my mid-twenties. It started in the front, and I just hoped it wouldn’t progress in the back. And, well… by the time I was in my thirties, it did exactly that. What I hoped would not happen, happened!

Tell us about how you decided to do something about your hair loss.

When I was 38ish, my hair loss started to get really bad. I used to use fibers in my hair to make thinning areas less noticeable, but that wasn’t working at all anymore. Plus, I was tired of 10 years of the same messy, shaggy, faux-hawk type look that hid my hair loss the best. So I started researching hair transplants. Different companies came up – I saw some things about traveling to Turkey for a hair transplant, but I didn’t want to do that. Then Bosley came up in my search The Chicago office had wonderful reviews, so I called and scheduled a free consult.

Did you try any other methods to fight or hide your hair loss first?

I tried a multi-step Nioxin shampoo. I’m an impatient person – one bottle of that didn’t work at all, and I went, okay, this isn’t for me. Plus, as I researched it further, Google said that as soon as I stopped using it any new growth would fall out anyway, and I was looking for permanent results. I also looked into a toupee or a hair system, but I sweat like crazy and didn’t want to deal with all of that maintenance.

How did you decide to get a hair transplant?
I did the research and had a consultation. I asked a lot of questions – I like to have a shorter haircut in the back, so I was nervous about the long linear scars I’d seen before. Once I learned about FUE and how it doesn’t leave a linear scar, I decided that was the option that I wanted to move forward with.

Why did you choose Bosley for your hair transplant?
I read a ton of reviews. I trust those most because those are always gonna be the most honest opinions. I used to work in the service industry, so I know there are always gonna be good, bad, and in-between reviews. Bosley’s Chicago office had wonderful reviews, and I work downtown right near it, so it was an easy decision!

Think back to the day before your procedure. What would you tell yourself?
I’d say, “Patience is a virtue.” If I don’t see immediate results, I’m often like, what’s the point? But the Bosley team explained everything clearly, and I knew what was to come, so I knew I had to just be patient and take one day at a time. Of course, the time it took for my hair to grow in was well worth it.

What was your experience like on the day of your procedure?
Absolutely amazing. I had never had a surgical procedure, so I didn’t quite know what to expect, and I wasn’t sure how I’d spend 7 hours. But I got there, they took me back right on time, the whole staff was wonderful. I’m a talker and I spent the whole time chit-chatting with the staff. My family heritage is Croatian and I met a staff member who was Serbian, so we had a lot to bond over. And I’m a very inquisitive person, I like to learn as much as I can, so I asked lots of questions throughout my procedure about what was going on, and they answered all of my questions. The seven hours went by super fast, I was comfortable the entire time.

When did you notice visible results?

I got my procedure done on October 22, and I noticed growth in February, much faster than I had even expected. My first haircut was on St. Patrick’s Day, I remember the date because I was so excited to actually need a haircut!

How does it feel to have your real hair back?
It feels amazing. And yeah, it’s funny you said “real hair” because that’s what’s so surprising to people – everyone will ask me, “Does it grow?” And I joke, “Only if I water it.” Like, they don’t understand that it’s my own real hair. And that feels so good. I can mess it up, I can go to the pool, it’s just awesome to have it back.

Aside from your hair looking amazing – have you experienced any other positive changes since getting your hair transplant?

The confidence level alone is everything. Even from the day of my procedure, when I saw my new hairline drawn in, I saw how much my face shape changed and it was an instant confidence boost. I didn’t look nearly as good with a long forehead. And weight gain has always been something I struggled with, but seeing that change in my face gave me the push I needed to get serious about making other physical changes. I started working out hardcore, and I’ve lost 86 pounds in the last year and a half. It’s been a whole transformation. I feel like a completely different person.

How have other people reacted to your transformation?
My friends joke that I’m the male Cinderella. I’ve gotten cast in acting roles that I never would have otherwise. And one family member has even had their own procedure done because of me, and I know others who are thinking about it as well!

What would be your message to someone currently struggling with hair loss?
Don’t let what others tell you affect what you want to do. It’s all about your happiness, your confidence, what you see when you look in the mirror. If you can afford to get a hair transplant, do it, if you can’t, look into other options because there are lots of things you can do. But just the confidence level itself makes it completely worth it.