Hair Tactics

These Famous Men Aren’t Hiding Their Hair Transplants

They prove there’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Although two-thirds of American men will experience significant hair loss before hitting their 40s, hair transplant surgeries are still somewhat considered taboo.

The secrecy around the procedure has led many online observers to judge for themselves, creating “before-and-after” pictures of A-listers including basketball legend LeBron James, chef Gordon Ramsay, and soccer star David Beckham.

Still, some celebrities don’t leave it up to the audience to suspect: they share their journey themselves, in their own words.

These are the celebrity men who have been refreshingly loud and proud about their hair rejuvenation journeys.

AJ McLean, 48

In 2013, Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean shocked fans by posting before-and-after photos of his hair transplant transformation on Instagram.

The boy bander underwent the surgery just before his wedding to Rochelle DeAnna Karidis in 2011. He told Allure in 2021 he was preparing for his second procedure.

“Losing my hair is something that I have personally struggled with for a long time,” he said, adding that for years he shaved his head to cover the thinning.

McLean said he was not ashamed of his choice or talking about it.

“I totally accept whatever anybody wants to do to make themselves feel better, to boost their self-confidence,” he said.

Joe Buck, 57

Eight-time Emmy-winning sportscaster Joe Buck underwent his first plug hair transplant surgery in 1993, and never looked back.

The old-school procedure involved removing a circular area of skin and hair from one part of his head, and planting it in a thinning area. The technique carried the risk of patchy results and has since been replaced by newer methods.

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In his 2016 memoir, Lucky b-----d: My Life, My Dad, And The Things I’m Not Allowed To Say On TV, Buck called himself a “hair-plug addict,” who kept going back for more and more procedures.

“Broadcasting is a brutal, often unfair business, where looks are valued more than skill,” he wrote, according to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. “I was worried that if I lost my hair, I would lose my job. OK, that’s bulls--t. It was vanity. Pure vanity. I just told myself I was doing it for TV.”

In 2011, during yet another procedure, one of Buck’s vocal cords got injured, and he temporarily lost his ability to speak.

He lied to his bosses and audience that his months-long loss of voice was due to a virus, before revealing the truth in his memoir years later.

In 2016, he told Sports Illustrated that he did not have another hair transplant after the 2011 surgery, but would be open to another if it did not involve general anesthesia.

John Cena, 49

Retired 17-time world champion professional wrestler John Cena has undergone two hair transplant surgeries.

He underwent his first surgery in November 2024 after fans were pointing out his thinning hair.

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BALD STATEMENTS

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The 13.5-hour procedure was “life-changing” for him, and beneficial for his blossoming acting career, too.

“A different hairstyle can identify a part that can get me more work, do the thing I love to do,” he said.

In 2026, Cena opted for a second, eight-hour procedure because of “one small, small, small spot” on his scalp that was bothering him.

He thanked plastic surgeon Dr. Ken Anderson for both of his procedures.

Cheyenne Jackson, 51

30 Rock actor and Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson underwent a whopping five hair transplant surgeries.

“I’ve been dreading this day for 17 years. The day when my horrible secret would be revealed,” he wrote in a since-deleted 2020 Instagram post, accompanied by a photo of his hair transplant scar, according to People.

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Based on the linear scar, Jackson underwent a follicular unit transplantation, or FUT, procedure.

During the surgery, the doctor removes a strip of skin from the back of the head, extracts groups of hairs from the strip, and plants them in thinning areas.

Jackson wrote that his hair began to thin around 22.

“It was really emotional for me to watch it fall out & I felt less attractive & truly less like myself as the days went on,” he wrote.

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THREE MEN AND A SURGERY

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After years of saving up, he underwent a “painful” and “expensive” hair transplant procedure at 28 that helped him feel more confident.

In the following 14 years, he underwent four more.

Brian Urlacher, 48

Retired NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher was known for his bald look during his 13 years with the Chicago Bears.

In 2016, he revealed a head of thick hair. He thanked a FUE hair transplant, which he underwent in November 2015 with Restore.

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The follicular unit extraction technique involves extracting individual hairs and planting them one by one and does not leave a visible scar.

“I had to wear [a hat] when I went to dinner. I had to wear it when I dressed up… I couldn’t show my hair,” he told WGN Morning News about the time before his surgery.

Urlacher, who had been bald since college, was so happy with his results he became a spokesperson for the company.

Deion Sanders, 58

Inspired by Urlacher, Hall of Fame defensive back Deion Sanders, too, decided to undergo a hair transplant procedure with Restore.

The two-time Super Bowl champion began balding in his late 20s and would rely on hats to cover it up.

“Finally, when I was 33 or 34, I just shaved my head bald,” he told Restore.

The University of Colorado Boulder head coach was thrilled with the results and wanted to encourage other men considering the procedure to do the same.

“I look younger, and I feel good,” he said. “Why wouldn’t a man want to present his best self? Why would you shy away from an opportunity just because it’s not ordinary?”

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JUST HAIR FOR A GOOD TIME

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