Bradley Wiggins sparks sideburn craze among men

London, Aug 3 (ANI): Men wanting to look like Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins, are getting their sideburns bolstered with transplants.

Surgeon Asim Shahmalak said that he has had a number of bookings from fans who want to look like the Tour De France winner.

He calls it the "Wiggo effect," after the popular nickname of the pedalling hero.

Wayne Rooney, who first asked Dr Shahmalak for a transplant aged 23, has also sparked a boom in hair transplants for under-30s with a 25 percent increase in the year since Manchester United striker had his operation.

Wiggins said after his triumph in the Olympic time trial: "Sideburns have not been as popular since Noddy Holder."

"Lads want to look like their sporting idols but sometimes nature needs a bit of a helping hand," the Sun quoted Dr Shahmalak, who owns the Crown Cosma Clinic near Manchester Airport, as saying.

"Many men have patchy beards and can't grow a fine pair of mutton chops like Bradley Wiggins. We have noticed the Wiggo effect at the clinic ever since Bradley started getting mega popular, and particularly in the last month with the Tour de France and Olympics. We expect lots more now he has won Olympic gold.

"Men have come to us to get their beards and sideburns bolstered. Hair is taken from the back of the scalp and grafted into the beard area to boost sideburns or a beard. These kind of operations can do wonders for boosting men's confidence," he said.

Wiggins, 32, who styles himself on his sideburned music hero Paul Weller, reckoned his trademark tufts were his lucky Olympic charm, and he has promised not to shave them off after winning his fourth Olympic gold and his seventh in total(ANI).