As John Cena prepares to retire after more than 20 years in WWE, the 48-year-old wrestler and Peacemaker star is getting frank about an issue impacting many of his fans: hair loss.
In the cover story of People’s August issue, Cena discussed the years-long fight to conceal his thinning hair. “As I was trying to hide my hair loss, the audience was bringing it to light,” he told People. “I saw their signs that said, ‘The bald John Cena.’”
However, Cena insists he didn’t see the feedback from fans as intentional torment so much as a push to take action, inspiring the star to pay attention to his scalp and hair health. This led to a carefully thought-out hair-care regimen and, eventually, a hair transplant.
In November 2024, Cena underwent the procedure and now says his only regret is that he didn’t seek it sooner. “I hate the fact that if there wasn’t so much shame around it, I’d have gotten it done 10 years ago,” Cena told People. “I thought I was alone, but seven or eight out of 10 [men] suffer from thinning or baldness.”
Nearly a year post-surgery, Cena remains unfazed by those who criticize his decision: “If somebody’s going to sweat me for [my hair transplant], I don’t think there’s any shame in that. It completely changed the course of my life.” In the interview, Cena goes on to describe the difficulties of working as he recovered from the procedure, noting that it was “not easy.”
Despite the prominence of hair loss as a concern among people of all backgrounds (including many fans of Cena and the WWE), it continues to be a difficult, even taboo, topic of discussion. While some don’t feel the slightest hesitation to shave it all off, for those who do wish to hang onto their hairlines, there’s a cornucopia of specialized treatments, over-the-counter products, and even surgical options targeting hair loss and thinning on the market—and more celebrities like Cena talking about their experiences—than ever before.
