By Business CNCT
Bobby, Managing Director of Este Medical Scotland, hid his hair loss for years before it led him to a career. He tells us how a radio advert heard by his truck-driver dad changed everything.
For many men, hair loss is something to hide. For Bobby, it became a career.
Born in Walsall in the West Midlands, he now leads Este Medical Scotland, with clinics in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, part of a group with 24 locations worldwide.
Bobby grew up in a working-class family, and his parents, now in their late sixties, still work. “That ethos of working hard has always been with me from a very young age,” he says. On his 16th birthday he interviewed at McDonald’s, lasted two weeks, then moved to Currys selling TVs and laptops. Selling came naturally. “Talking about technology, TVs, PlayStation, it just came natural to me.”
At 17 or 18, his hair began to thin, as his father’s had. For years he hid it with hats, fibres and powders, and even shaved his head after being told it would grow back thicker. “That was a myth,” he says. His dad suggested a turban, but for Bobby, who was born into a Sikh family, it was never an option. “It’s a religious artefact. It shouldn’t be taken lightheartedly.” So the caps stayed. “I had a whole drawer just full of baseball caps.”
The turning point came at 24 or 25, through his father, a truck driver who spends his days listening to the radio. He heard an advert for a hair transplant company and remembered the road it was on. Bobby searched online and Este Medical came up. At the consultation he met founder Sam Sinker. “As a patient, I felt this was an honest, genuine person, which he is.”
Around 14 years on, his transplant is still going strong. The follicles come from the back of the head, an area unaffected by DHT, the enzyme that causes hair loss. “The transplanted hairs will remain forever,” he says. Attitudes have changed too. “Now it’s open. Everyone openly admits if they’re losing their hair and they want to get help.”
Bobby joined Este in Birmingham, spending eight years under Sam learning the industry. He never set out to be the boss, but about six years ago he felt ready. “I just felt that I could offer more.” Sam suggested a joint venture, and Este Medical Scotland was born. Looking back, he has no regrets about the years of hiding under caps. “Losing my hair was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he says. “Without it, I’d never have walked into Este, and now I’ve got three clinics of my own.”
Aesthetics is a busy market, but Bobby doesn’t see rivals. “The industry is big enough for everyone to survive. In fact, I think we should be helping each other.”
His ambition is to lead through technology. Este introduced robotic hair transplants and robotic DHI a couple of years ago, which Bobby says makes it the only company in the UK to offer them. “If you want the best technology, Este Medical is the one.”
