A former football manager has become a hair transplant guru.

Lloyd Hume, who managed Maidstone United from 2004 to 2010, has served Premier League footballers and TV celebrities at the Maidstone clinic of KSL, a hair transplant business based in Glasgow.

His aim is to turn hair loss treatment into an affordable prospect for men around the country after undergoing the procedure himself.

Mr Hume opened the clinic in May last year, having got involved in the business 18 months ago when he met company founder Simon Lindsay.

The Irish businessman contacted the former footballer to do some head-hunting through his recruitment company Adapt Resourcing and the pair quickly began discussing plans to expand KSL.

Mr Hume, who lives in Aylesford, said: “The first part was to go through the transplant process myself to see how it works and the results. I found the experience very easy.

“I knew I wanted to get involved in the business and help them open up the rest of the UK with my contacts in the south.”

The venture was given a publicity boost late last year when The Only Way Is Essex star Michael Hassini underwent treatment at the clinic in Station Road.

Mr Hume, 44, said: “Eight out of 10 customers are friends of people who have had transplants because they know the costs of the procedure and understand how it works.

“The thought of having a hair transplant is daunting but if a friend told you how simple it was, and that it only takes one day, it becomes more simple to get your head round. The recovery is very quick – within 10 days. Other than having more hair, no one would know you’d had surgery.”

Bosses at KSL plan to open another four branches across the UK within three years, with treatments costing between £5,000 and £12,000.

Mr Hume insists 99% of procedures are not for celebrities and said he has been overwhelmed by the experience of running the clinic.

He said: “In my recruitment business, we are seen like estate agents. People use us because they have to.

“In the hair transplant industry it’s really different. You are making a huge difference to someone’s life. You are giving them their confidence back. We have had people come in who have not been seen without a cap on for five years.”

Mr Hume is also proud to have opened the clinic in Maidstone, where he enjoyed his playing and managerial career in football. He worked with the under-16s last year.

He said: “That football club is a great thing for our town. When you see the supporters walking through the high street in their Maidstone shirts, I’m glad that I’ve been a part of that.”