John Cena says hair transplants changed his life: ‘I thought I was alone’

There are some things you wouldn’t expect to overhear at San Diego Comic-Con. John Cena giving a candid account of his hair transplant journey is one of them. But that’s exactly what happened – no waffle, just Cena sat down and spelled out his very personal experience with a roomful of press, right as he’s gearing up to promote his latest film, Matchbox: The Movie.

Not Just a Shaved Head

Rocking a freshly shaved dome, Cena explained why he’d ditched his usual hair. Apparently, the close crop wasn’t just for a film role or a change of style: it was all part of a carefully mapped-out hair restoration master plan. If you’ve ever wondered whether the world’s most recognisable ex-wrestler worries about thinning hair, the answer is yes. And he’s not shy about exactly what you have to do if you want results.

He went through his story for all to hear, starting with his first trip to see Dr Ken Anderson. Cena said the first procedure’s results were good enough that he happily went back for round two—about 15 months later—because there was just “one small, small, small spot” he wanted to fix. Dr Anderson apparently had a solution, but for that to work best, Cena had to be brave (his word) and shave his head entirely.

Here’s how Cena described his journey at Comic-Con: “The objective is to get more hair, and this was the best way to do it, talking with Ken Anderson, my doctor over there. I love the guy. He’s totally changed my life.”

Hair for the Patient

There’s no polite way to say this: these procedures are not quick. Cena was pretty open about the maths: the first hair transplant took a whopping 13 and a half hours, and the second one ran to a still-hefty 8 hours. As for the reason he’d waited so long, it’s the perennial answer: shame. Cena said he’d have sorted it “10 years ago” if it weren’t for all the stigma blokes get about it. For the record, he also dropped a stat: it’s basically normal to go bald—he reckons seven or eight out of ten men are facing the same battle.

Cena didn’t mince words about his trust in his physician: “And I’m rocking this hair thing with the promise that he’s working. I have full trust and faith in him with this process.”

If you’re curious what’s got Cena on the promo circuit, it’s his new action-comedy Matchbox: The Movie. The plot? Former childhood friends, a reunion gone wrong, and—naturally—an international intrigue that spirals wildly out of control while they fight to clear their names and (what else?) save the world. Not much hair-related jeopardy in the synopsis, but one suspects the follicles will be intact, at least.