You Can See Him Now: How John Cena Turned Hair Loss Into a New Beginning

One of pro wrestler–turned–Hollywood star John Cena’s signature taunts involves waving his hand in front of his face while declaring, “You can’t see me.” Ironically, that phrase has taken on a different meaning in recent years, as fans began using it to mock Cena’s thinning hair. Despite his immense success and record-setting achievements in WWE, the 48-year-old admitted that jokes about his bald spot—whether from signs in the crowd or social media—still bothered him.

Because of that, Cena made the decision to undergo hair transplant surgery, a move which he says “changed the course of his life.”

“As I was trying to hide my hair loss, the audience was bringing it to light,” Cena told People Magazine. “I saw their signs that said ‘The bald John Cena.’ They pushed me into going to see what my options were. I now have a routine: red-light therapy, minoxidil, vitamins, shampoo, conditioner — and I also got a hair transplant last November.”

John says that while he’s happy with how his hair looks after undergoing a transplant, he wishes he had done it sooner. In a rare moment of vulnerability, he expressed frustration over the lingering stigma around male hair loss—despite the fact that nearly 70% of men experience it as they age.

“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.”

“They don’t do anything except move your hair, one by one, from one area to another,” Cena explains, referring to the transplant procedure.

Cena admits that hair loss is a sensitive topic. He acknowledges that if anyone gives him grief over it—perhaps speaking to others who feel self-conscious about balding—he doesn’t believe there’s any shame in it. For him, the choice wasn’t merely cosmetic; it was deeply personal.

“It completely changed the course of my life,” he added.

One major way the hair transplant changed the course of Cena’s life was by boosting his now-thriving acting career. He first stepped into acting with the 2006 movie The Marine, which he openly admits was “a bad movie where I wasn’t really present.” Since then, his career has evolved dramatically. Today, he takes on a wider range of roles, including his standout performance in James Gunn’s Peacemaker series on HBO Max, whose second season will begin streaming on August 21st. Cena credits changes like his hairstyle for helping him embrace more diverse parts, saying, “A different hairstyle can identify a part that can get me more work, do the thing I love to do.”

Are you inspired by how John Cena turned hair loss into a new beginning for his career? Let us know in the comments.