Former Coronation Street actor and one-time pop star Adam Rickitt has spoken of battle with hair loss and newfound confidence after restoring some of his locks, following a combination attack on his hair loss using Minoxidil, taking Finasteride, and trying laser therapy. Adam was a huge heartthrob back in the late 90s and early 00s and had girls up and down the country swooning over him and his blond curtained style hairdo. Over the years however, the 40-year-old has ditched the curtain look and more recently has been sporting his natural brown-coloured hair closely cropped. The now-Hollyoaks star (playing schemer Kyle Kelly) has clearly taken action to prolong his glittering career in television, fearing that losing his hair could lose to losing TV roles too. “If I’d left it, it probably would’ve ended up going bald or very thin. From a career point of view it would have restricted some of the roles I could do. From a personal point of view I would have been a bit gutted. I’m not going to deny it,” he commented when discussing his dilemma. Fearing he was no cool and bald action star like Bruce Willis, Adam decided he had to try and rescue his thinning head of hair, joking: “Bruce Willis has the best shaped head in the world. You shave his head he looks like a god, you shave mine and I look like a conker that’s been dropped from the top of a tree.” He added: “You can wear a wig or a toupee when you’re playing a character, but only really if you’re a hugely famous actor like Sean Connery and everybody knows what you look like.” Instead, Adam opted to take Finasteride tablets, apply Regaine for Men and try laser therapy at the MHR Clinic, part-owned by Wales Football Manager Ryan Giggs. The actor went for weekly 40 minute laser sessions and also took zinc, milk thistle and saw palmetto supplements in an effort to restore his hair. After 6 months, Adam is delighted with the results he is seeing, commenting: “It has given me a lot more confidence. I have no problem now having my head shaved or doing a full head shot to camera when I’ve got wet hair. Those moments on set or when I’m watching something back are the moments when I most appreciate having a full head of hair again.” He added: “From a personal point of view it makes me happier too. I’ve got used to it. I’ve had it all my life. I don’t want that suddenly to go. I’m as insecure as the next person.” Retired Trichologist David Bailey commented: “Minoxidil and Finasteride are the only medications at present that claim to have some benefit in hair treatment, although in my experience the results are poor. In fact 1% pyrithione zinc shampoo has been said to show similar results, which in my opinion throws doubts in the efficacy of all these treatments. Also, a combination of these has not been shown to be beneficial (Berger RS et al. Br L Dermatol. 2003 Aug; 149(2): 352-62). Low-Level-Laser-Light has again been shown to have some effect on Terminal hair visually (not measured) over only 26 weeks, but there was no measurement of anagen, catagen or telogen hair root status or hair shaft diameters prior or after to show convincing long term efficacy in my opinion, and only over 26 weeks. What happens after 26 weeks?”