Research shows that about 85% of men experience male pattern baldness at some point in life [1], and celebrities are no exception. However, surgical hair restoration can provide a simple and permanent solution to that. In the actor’s own words, John Cena’s hair transplant had a life-changing impact, opening up new doors for him professionally and restoring his confidence [2].
However, it took John over 10 years of trying to hide his hair loss and avoid fan criticism before finally deciding to try surgical hair restoration. Join us in retracing his hair journey from his youth to the present day and learn all about his procedure type, costs and results.
Discover all about John Cena’s hair transplant. Find out when it happened and what made the actor decide to take this step. Follow his hair timeline to see how his alopecia progressed over the years and learn all you need to know about the kind of procedure he had, what it cost and the results he achieved. Finally, see what steps John is taking today to maintain his hair fullness and prevent further native hair loss.
Key takeaways
John Felix Anthony Cena is a world-famous wrestler and actor, born in 1977 in Newbury, Massachusetts. A childhood fan of wrestling, he started on this career path in 2000, aged 23, embodying a character called The Prototype. He won a plethora of professional wrestling championship titles and awards, which made him the most decorated wrestler in history. However, in 2025, John announced his impending retirement from this sport with a nostalgic farewell tour.
John Cena’s acting career debuted in 2006, with a starring role in The Marine. However, he is better known for his parts in Bumblebee (2018), F9 (2019), Suicide Squad (2021) and Fast X (2023). Recently, John has been starring in the successful TV show Peacemaker (2022-2025).
Yes, John Cena was very open and forthcoming about the hair transplant he had in November 2025 and the considerable impact it had on his professional life. The actor spoke earnestly about his surgery in an interview for People Magazine and about how much the results he achieved from this procedure meant to him professionally:
“If somebody’s going to sweat me for that, I don’t think there’s any shame in that […] It completely changed the course of my life.”It completely changed the course of my life” [2].
“If somebody’s going to sweat me for that, I don’t think there’s any shame in that […] It completely changed the course of my life.”
It completely changed the course of my life” [2].
John explained that having his hair surgically restored allowed him to advance in his acting career by providing him with increased versatility and more professional opportunities:
“A different hairstyle can identify a part that can get me more work, do the thing I love to do.”[2]
While it can be difficult to tell simply by watching his movie and TV show appearances, John Cena has struggled with male pattern baldness. Also known as androgenetic alopecia, this condition occurs in men whose hair follicles are more sensitive to an androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This male hormone binds to androgen receptors on the hair follicles, causing hair miniaturisation and eventually, the typical patterned hair loss [3].
However, John Cena’s male pattern baldness was not the most common kind. Normally, men who experience this condition first notice a receding hairline. After a while, if left untreated, the alopecia progresses to temple hair loss and eventually, a bald spot on the crown. But in John’s case, the frontal hair loss was marginal – his only problem was the substantial bald area on his crown, which was mostly conspicuous during his wrestling matches.
This less common type of hair loss is classified as Norwood Stage 3 Vertex, where the frontal hair loss remains limited, but the crown area (the vertex) experiences significant balding. Since John has been using hair growth treatments, such as Minoxidil, he was able to maintain only a slightly uneven hairline, full enough to allow him to comb his hair back and thus disguise his thinning crown.
Are you curious how John’s hair has changed over the years and when his baldness started to set in? Take a look at the actor’s hair timeline, starting in childhood and leading up to the present day.
As a child, John wore his straight, brown hair with a fringe, disguising his naturally tall forehead. The appearance of his hair is unremarkable, typical for a little boy of his age. However, his teenage photos, starting at age 15, show him actively concealing his hair, either by wearing a baseball cap or by shaving his head completely. While this may be a style choice, it can also mean John may have been experiencing some teenage hair loss.
While this condition is not common, scientists believe that early-onset androgenetic alopecia affects between 15.5% and 38.5% of all teenagers (here are some resources for stopping hair loss in teenage guys) [4]. So John may have experienced the first signs of hair thinning and balding during his adolescence. However, there is no way of knowing this for sure, since his hair loss did not affect his hairline, and his crown is not visible in his early photos.
During his early twenties, as he started his wrestling career, John opted for haircuts popular among athletes, such as buzz cuts and flat tops. However, he almost always combined them with high fades, excellent for obscuring hair thinning.
When he did wear his hair slightly longer, his hairline appeared perfectly straight and youthful, with no signs of unevenness or recession. So if his hair loss had already started at the crown, there was no way of telling simply by looking at John from a frontal or side angle, as he appears in most photos.
John Cena’s hairline held up really well into his late thirties. Despite the fact that many men start experiencing frontal balding or an M-shaped hairline by this age, the wrestler showed no signs of that. However, in 2015, at age 38, the hair thinning on his crown started to become visible in photographs taken at the right angle.
From the actor’s account of only starting Minoxidil when his hair loss was noticed by fans, at this early stage, he was probably not using any treatment to stop his hair falling out. So his thinning area only kept increasing in size and visibility over the years.
Almost a decade later, in 2024, John’s creatively slicked-back haircuts were no longer able to hide the large bald spot on the top of his head. It became fully visible every time he bowed, so fans were able to see it clearly during his wrestling matches and even as he sat down for interviews.
John confesses that it was the fans’ scrutiny and sometimes harsh negative reactions that led him to search for a treatment for his male pattern baldness:
“As I was trying to hide my hair loss, the audience was bringing it to light. […] They pushed me into going to see what my options were.” [5]
Moreover, the star blames the past stigma around surgical hair restoration for not having got this treatment sooner, when his hair loss was less extensive:
“I hate the fact that if there wasn’t so much shame around it, I’d have gotten it done 10 years ago […] I thought I was alone, but seven or eight out of 10 [men] suffer from thinning or baldness.”[5]
Fortunately for John, his procedure was very successful, and after a year of healing, his final results look excellent. He can now move freely in front of the cameras without having to worry about hiding his bald spot or being ridiculed. While the hair on his crown is not exactly as thick as it used to be before the alopecia set in, the coverage is adequate, and the actor has a full head of hair once more.
For a man pushing 50, John Cena’s hair looks amazing nowadays, even by movie star standards. His hairline is mature, but still enviably straight, his temples are well-covered, and since his hair transplant, his crown is looking much fuller. The actor can now wear any haircut he pleases. This made a major difference in his life, not only because it helped restore his self-esteem and avoid fan criticism, but also because it opened up new career possibilities. Physical appearance is crucial for a movie star, so looking youthful and confident can be a fast track to receiving better and more varied roles.
John never addressed the specifics of his hair transplant procedure, such as whether he had Follicular unit extraction (FUE) or Follicular unit transplantation (FUT) surgery. However, there are tell-tale signs that reveal the kind of procedure he likely had.
The main difference between FUE and FUT, the most common surgical hair restoration methods, lies in the way the hair follicles are harvested. FUT involves harvesting an entire strip of skin from the safe donor area, cutting it up into individual grafts and implanting each of them into the transplant area. The wound is then sutured, but FUT leaves a fine, linear scar at the back of the head. FUE, on the other hand, involves harvesting each hair graft individually, so it leaves virtually no hair transplant scarring on the donor area.
Photographs and video footage from John Cena’s 2025 wrestling matches show a distinct line on the back of his head, right where his donor area must have been. This line is highly consistent with an FUT scar, so it is safe to assume that the star had an FUT hair transplant.
Many celebrities who have hair transplants choose FUE, as it allows for easier, faster recovery and doesn’t leave a tell-tale scar. This way, they can have a hair transplant without anyone knowing. However, since John never planned to keep his procedure a secret, this was probably not an issue for him. He may have preferred FUT because it takes a shorter time to perform, and the busy action-star may have found that more convenient for his schedule.
While John’s frontal area still looked quite good, the bald spot on his vertex was considerable. That is why he probably needed a 2000-graft hair transplant to obtain adequate coverage in this area. However, he never discussed this aspect with the media, and every person’s scalp and hair are different, so it is difficult to tell for sure from his media appearances alone.
For comparison, here are the before and after photos of one of our patients at the Wimpole Clinic who had similar hair loss to John Cena’s and had a 2000-graft procedure:
If you are experiencing hair loss and are wondering how many grafts you might need to fix it, the graphic below will provide you with a general idea:
However, if you want to learn your precise and personalised graft requirements, the best thing you can do is book a free, no-strings-attached consultation with one of our experienced surgeons. Upon examining you carefully, they will make the best recommendations for top-tier hair transplant results, tailored to your specific hair type, hair loss and expectations.
John maintained discretion regarding the location of the clinic where he had his hair restoration surgery and the costs of his procedure. However, since he is nowadays a famous Hollywood actor, he may have opted for a high-end LA hair restoration facility. According to our research, the average price per graft in LA is $6,96 (approximately £5,32). This means the graft cost alone would have amounted to just under $14.000 (approximately £10.600).
Had John opted for one of the best hair clinics in the UK, the procedure may have been less expensive. The average cost per graft here is, according to our research, only £3,25 ($4,26), amounting to £6,500 ($8,520) for 2000 grafts. And the quality of the results would likely have been excellent here as well, given the number of world-class hair transplant surgeons practising in the UK.
However, total hair transplant costs involve more than just the price per graft; they are determined by multiple factors, such as:
Given that John can afford luxury services, his hair restoration surgery may have cost considerably more than £10,000. But in the absence of information regarding the clinic he used and the treatments and services he enjoyed, the exact price he had to pay for his hair transplant will remain a mystery.
According to the actor, after his hair restoration surgery, John Cena started a diligent hair care routine, comprised of:
“I now have a routine: red-light therapy, minoxidil, vitamins, shampoo, conditioner” [2]
If John Cena wanted to do even more to make sure his hair remains in tip-top shape as he advances in age, here are some other things he could try:
Research shows that getting PRP after a hair transplant may help improve its results. And while it may be too late for John Cena, who has already achieved his final results, getting this treatment during your hair transplant shock loss stage can make your hair grow back faster and fuller [8].
If you are curious to see how other athletes, actors, or singers look after their hair transplant, be sure to check out the following articles:
If you’re tired of your hair looking thin and you’d like to take a page from John Cena’s book in regaining your youthful appearance, you have come to the right place. The Wimpole Clinic has a 50-year legacy of impeccable hair restoration surgery, and it has been voted Hair Transplant Clinic of the Year for 4 years running (2021-2024).
Book a free consultation with one of our experienced surgeons to learn if you are eligible for a permanent hair transplant. In the meantime, you can see some of our excellent results for yourself in our before-and-after hair transplant gallery.
If you would like to know even more about John Cena’s hair transplant, make sure you read the answers to these frequently asked questions:
No, John Cena does not appear to have had hairline transplant surgery alongside the one on his crown. The actor never mentioned such a procedure, and there is no evidence of consistent differences between his 2024 and 2025 hairline appearance. While it is uncommon for someone with such extensive crown hair loss to sport a rather straight hairline and only marginal temple thinning, John may just be genetically lucky in this matter.
John made full use of some of the best hairstyles for balding men. His signature hairdos alternated between longer, slicked-back frontal hair that would cover the bald spot on top and buzz cuts with a high fade, ideal for reducing contrast in thinning areas of the scalp.
Of course, as a professional showman, John may have used other tricks to put his hair in the best possible light. Many stars digitally correct unflattering photos, plan for the best angles, or use cosmetics such as hair thickening spray to hide their thinning spots. However, John Cena never spoke about using any of these methods, and there is presently no evidence of having done so.
John speaks openly about having tried Minoxidil, one of the most popular and effective hair growth medications, to curb his male pattern baldness. However, since he eventually needed a hair transplant, it appears that this treatment was not sufficient to curb his condition in the long term.
The actor does not say whether he tried other, even more effective hair growth medications for male pattern baldness, such as Finasteride or Dutasteride. Nor do we know for how long he used Minoxidil and how consistently he applied it. So it is difficult to say if it would have been possible to experience adequate hair regrowth with only non-surgical hair loss treatments.
While some men can stop and even reverse male pattern baldness with hair growth medications, others find that hair restoration surgery is their only option. The good part is that while hair growth medications are only effective while actively used, a hair transplant is permanent, and you can enjoy its results for a lifetime.
Successful hair transplants normally last forever, so if John is happy with his results, it is likely that he will be able to enjoy them without any further intervention. However, over time, he may develop further hair loss in other areas not involved in this procedure, such as his hairline, temples or even around his transplanted hair. If that happens, he may choose to get a second hair transplant. Fortunately, the numbers are on his side, as almost 70% of patients require a single surgery to achieve permanent, satisfactory coverage [10].
In an interview for People, John admits that the stigma that used to surround hair restoration surgery up until recently deterred him from getting this procedure sooner. Back then, he was afraid of being judged for vanity. Nowadays, however, hair restoration procedures have become normalised, and he finally feels safe and comfortable not only to have one but to talk about it openly as well.
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After completing full visceral and bone surgical training, Mr. Ulf Kienecker (GMC No. 7046070) gained professional expertise in aesthetic and plastic surgery for six years before transitioning to surgical and non-surgical hair transplant treatments. He specialised exclusively in hair loss and skin rejuvenation. Over the past 19 years, Mr. Kienecker has performed approximately 15,000 individual hair transplant procedures.
He is one of the very few consultant surgeons with a medical license in both Switzerland and the United Kingdom and is highly regarded in professional circles for performing FUT and FUE hair transplants using the most modern incisional slit technique.
Mr. Kienecker has treated high-profile actors and singers, who have consistently given him five-star ratings due to his commitment to patient education and his warm, engaging manner. He is dedicated to understanding each patient’s unique concerns and goals, collaborating with them to develop a personalised treatment plan — whether non-surgical, surgical, or a combination of both — to achieve the desired results.
Mr. Kienecker’s specialties in the field of Hair Restoration include beard hair transplants and hairline densification.
