Pop star Justin Bieber’s noticeably fuller hairline has sparked speculation among cosmetic surgeons that the 30-year-old hitmaker may have undergone a hair transplant procedure. Experts who compared photos of Bieber from 2021 and 2022 to more recent images believe that the dramatic change in his hairline is likely the result of surgical intervention rather than natural growth.

Dr. Yoel Shahar, a Manhattan-based cosmetic surgeon, noted that in the earlier photos, Bieber displayed “classic male pattern baldness,” with the hair receding deeply and backward on the sides. In contrast, recent photos show a more forward hairline that appears almost horizontal from one side to the other, an effect Dr. Shahar attributes to hair transplantation. “This always comes from hair transplantation,” Shahar told InTouch Weekly.

Atlanta-based cosmetic surgeon Dr. Nicholas Jones concurs, describing Bieber’s hairline transformation as “dramatic” and “seemingly swift and complete.” He explains that follicular unit extraction (FUE), a procedure in which individual hair follicles are extracted from a donor area on the scalp and transplanted to thinning areas, can achieve very natural-looking results. “This can create a denser, more defined hairline, which could explain the uniformity we’re seeing in Justin’s case,” Dr. Jones added, noting that natural hairlines tend to be slightly irregular, with some areas growing more than others.

Insiders tell InTouch that the “What Do You Mean” singer had been self-conscious about his thinning locks for years before deciding to take action. “He thinks of himself as this boyishly handsome guy,” a source reveals. “And the image in the mirror started to look a little different from that idea of himself.”

New York-based plastic surgeon Dr. Gary Linkov has also weighed in on Bieber’s changing hairline, analyzing two images taken two years apart that show a significant difference in the singer’s signature look. In a 2022 Super Bowl photo taken in Inglewood, California, Bieber sports a shaved head with a visibly receding, sparse hairline. However, in a more recent image shared earlier this week, the singer has a very full head of hair with an even, straight hairline. “When I look at his forehead, [the hairline is now] much flatter, it doesn’t have that recession. And when the hair is wet, you can tell the regularity of the [hairline], so it looks like maybe he did have a transplant,” Dr. Linkov observed.