Colson Baker, better known to the world as Machine Gun Kelly, has never been a guy to shy away from radical change. He’s switched from rapid-fire rap to pop-punk, covered nearly every inch of his skin in ink, and dated some of the most famous women on the planet. But there is one transformation that remains a massive talking point for fans and hair restoration nerds alike: that incredibly sharp, dense hairline.
If you look at photos of MGK from 2012, you see a 22-year-old kid with some serious thinning. We’re talking Norwood 3 or 4 territory, where the temples are retreating faster than a shy person at a party. Fast forward a decade, and he’s rocking platinum waves and neon-pink mohawks with a density that just doesn't happen naturally after that kind of loss.
He’s never actually sat down and done a "Get Ready With Me: Hair Transplant Edition" video. Honestly, he hasn't had to. The evidence is literally written on the back of his head.
The Evidence: Two Procedures and a Famous Scar
Experts, including New York-based plastic surgeon Dr. Gary Linkov, have analyzed the timeline of MGK's scalp pretty thoroughly. The general consensus is that he didn't just have one procedure; he likely had two.
The first one seems to have happened around 2013. Back then, hair restoration was still heavily reliant on the FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) method. This is the "strip" method where a piece of skin is taken from the back of the head, and the follicles are dissected and moved to the front.
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How do we know? Well, MGK essentially told us without saying a word. In 2019, he shaved a strip into the back of his hair to reveal a tattoo for his Hotel Diablo album. Right across the ink was a visible, linear scar. That’s the "smoking gun" of an FUT procedure. You can't fake that kind of scarring, and it's the exact byproduct of a strip surgery.
The Shift to FUE
The second procedure likely went down around 2014 or 2015. This time, it looks like he (or his surgeon) opted for FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction).
Unlike the strip method, FUE involves taking individual follicles one by one. It's way more precise. It’s the reason his hairline looks "irregular" in a good way—it doesn't look like a doll’s head with perfectly straight rows. Modern surgeons use FUE to fill in the gaps and increase the density that a single FUT session might miss.
If you look at his 2012 "Lace Up" era versus his 2024 appearances, the difference is staggering. We went from a deep "M" shape to a full, thick frontal canopy.
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Why MGK's Transformation is a Case Study in Success
A lot of guys get transplants and they look... off. Either the hairline is too low, making them look like a Lego man, or the density is so thin it looks like peach fuzz. MGK avoided this.
- Age Matters: He started young. While some doctors warn against getting a transplant at 22 because hair loss is progressive, MGK clearly had the resources to keep up with the maintenance.
- The "Rockstar" Buffer: Having messy, bleached, or vibrantly colored hair is actually a genius way to hide the "telltale" signs of a transplant. Bleach swells the hair shaft, making it look thicker than it actually is.
- Maintenance: You don't just get a transplant and walk away. To keep the non-transplanted hair from falling out, most guys are on a regimen of Finasteride or Minoxidil. Considering his hair has stayed thick for over a decade, it’s safe to say he’s doing the "boring" medical maintenance behind the scenes.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Cost
People see a celebrity and assume they spent $100,000 on their hair. Kinda. But also not really.
A high-end procedure in the US or UK for the number of grafts MGK needed—roughly 3,000 to 5,000 total across two sessions—would likely run between $20,000 and $30,000. It’s a lot of money for a normal person, but for a multi-platinum artist, it’s basically the price of a single music video prop.
The real "cost" wasn't the money; it was the recovery time. Back in 2013, he was often seen wearing headbands and hats. That wasn't just a style choice; it was likely hiding the scabbing and redness that comes with the territory in those first few weeks post-op.
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The Actionable Takeaway for Anyone Else
If you’re looking at MGK and thinking, "I want that," you need to be realistic. He had a great donor area (the hair at the back of the head) and he clearly went to a top-tier surgeon who understood hairline design.
If you're noticing your own hairline doing the "M" shape dance, here is what you actually need to do:
- Don't wait until you're bald. Transplants move hair; they don't create new hair. If you wait until you're a Norwood 6, there won't be enough "donors" left to give you that MGK density.
- Look for the "irregularity." When picking a surgeon, ask to see their hairline work. If the hairlines look like they were drawn with a ruler, run. You want a surgeon who places follicles in a zig-zag pattern, just like MGK's.
- Prepare for the "Ugly Duckling" phase. Your hair will likely fall out a few weeks after the surgery before growing back. It takes about 12 months to see the final result.
- The Scar Factor. If you like wearing your hair buzzed at the back, avoid FUT. Go for FUE. You don't want a linear scar unless you plan on covering it with a tattoo like a rockstar.
MGK basically proved that you don't have to just "accept" male pattern baldness if you have the means to fix it. His hair is arguably a bigger part of his brand now than it was when he started. It’s a testament to what modern medical tech can do when it’s handled by an artist.
Next Steps for Your Hair Journey
- Consult a Specialist: If you are under 25, talk to a doctor about stabilizing hair loss with medication before jumping into surgery.
- Audit Your Donor Area: Check if the hair on the back of your head is thick enough to support a transplant; a simple "pinch test" with a stylist can give you a baseline idea.
- Research FUE vs. FUT: Decide if you can live with a linear scar (FUT) for better graft yield, or if you prefer the scarless (FUE) route for more flexibility in styling.