Joe Rogan Hair Transplant: What He Said and the Scar

Yes, on the record: Joe Rogan has said he had a hair transplant, and he regrets it. In remarks reported by several outlets, he called it "the dumbest thing I have ever done" and said it left "a giant scar" on the back of his head. He has also said it did not really fix his hair loss, and he now shaves his head. What he has not published is the date, the surgeon, the technique by name or a graft count. This guide separates what he said from what outsiders guess, and shows what five dated photos can and cannot tell us.

Quick answer: Rogan, who was born in 1967, says he had his first hair transplant in his twenties, at 26 or 28 depending on the report, and that he had more than one. By his own description the scar sits across the back of his head, and the method he contrasts with "the old way" is a strip harvest. He later shaved his head. The exact episode, date, surgeon and number of grafts are unknown.

Did Joe Rogan Get a Hair Transplant?

Yes. Unlike many celebrities in our series, Rogan is the one telling the story. In a podcast interview quoted by several outlets, he said: "I had a hair transplant. It was the dumbest thing I have ever done." The same reports quote him describing the result: "I have this giant scar in the back of my head. It looks like a smile."

To keep fact and guesswork apart, we sort what is known into three groups.

• Confirmed by his own words: he had a hair transplant, he was frightened of going bald, the result did not satisfy him, and he has a scar across the back of his head. He also said he should have shaved his head instead.
• Observable in photos: a full head of hair in 1985, a shorter cut with the hairline set back in the 2000s, and a fully shaved head in 2017 and 2026.
• Unverified: the technique by name, the surgeon, the date, the graft count, the number of sessions beyond one report of three, and any use of hair-loss medicine.

The quotes below come from outlets that reprinted his remarks. We found no transcript with an episode number, so we attribute each line to the outlet that printed it and give its publication date.

Joe Rogan's Hair Through the Years

Five freely licensed photos give a dated view from 1985 to 2026, including the 2026 photo above. They show trends rather than measurements, and one of the five carries no exact date.

1985: A Full Head of Hair

The earliest image is a yearbook portrait from Newton South High School, where Wikipedia says he graduated in 1985. It shows thick, dark hair worn long over the forehead and ears. It sets the starting point: this was a man who had hair to lose.

1990s: The Years of the Surgery

If the ages in the reports are right, the operations fall in the mid 1990s. Rogan was born in 1967, so 26 would be around 1993 and 28 around 1995. He tied the decision to his work: he said he had just started acting on television and was panicking, and in the MEAWW report he adds, "I was freaking out because I was on TV too." Wikipedia lists his sitcom NewsRadio, with him as a cast member, as running from 1995 to 1999, which fits that window, but he did not name the show in the quotes we found. We found no dated photo from these years that is freely licensed and clearly shows the hairline, so we do not show one.

2000s: A Shorter Cut and a Higher Hairline

By the 2000s Rogan was hosting Fear Factor (2001 to 2006, per Wikipedia) and working as a UFC commentator, a job he started in 1997. A stand-up photo from 20.04.2007 shows short dark hair with the hairline set back at the temple. The version below is cropped closer to the head and shoulders; the glow at the top is a stage light.

A second photo from the same decade comes from a US Marine Corps release of a UFC broadcast. It is undated on Commons, so we call it "2000s" only because of the event type and his look. It shows short, dark, cropped hair and a headset.

2010s to 2026: The Shaved Head

By 17.02.2017, in a web video still, the head is fully shaved, and it stays that way in the 2026 photo at the top of this page. We found no report that dates the moment he started shaving, so the change happened somewhere between the 2000s photos and 2017. In the MEAWW report he says, "I should have just shaved my head from the beginning," and in the EssentiallySports report, "I should have just shaved my head, I just didn't know the freedom."

Is Joe Rogan Bald?

In photos, yes: he has no hair on top now. He has not said whether his cause is male pattern hair loss, though his own account, "my hair was falling out", points to progressive loss. The NHS notes that male and female pattern baldness are permanent and "usually runs in the family", and that other causes such as illness or stress are usually temporary. Without a diagnosis from him, we cannot name his cause.

Why Did Joe Rogan Shave His Head?

He gives two reasons across the reports: the transplant did not do what he hoped, and shaving would have been easier. He said he was "scared that I was going bald", asked what could be done, was told "They can fix it", and then found it "does not really fix it".

He also tied looks to income: in the EssentiallySports report he says part of the reason he was making money was the way he looked. He gives no date for when the shave began.

Joe Rogan Before and After: What Can Photos Actually Tell Us?

A before-and-after pair is only useful if the two photos are comparable. Ours are not, and no pair of public photos of Rogan can be. Here is what limits them.

• No pre-surgery photo in the right years. We found no freely licensed image from the mid 1990s that shows the hairline.
• Different hair lengths. A short cut hides density, and a shaved head hides all of it.
• The scar is out of view. The scar he describes is at the back of the head, and none of our five photos is taken from behind.

The honest reading: the photos show that his hair loss progressed and that he now shaves. They cannot show the transplant, its density or its technique. For what real results look like, see our hair transplant before and after guide.

What Has Joe Rogan Said About Transplants and Hair-Loss Medicine?

Rogan has spoken about the surgery itself, and one report also covers how methods have changed. According to the MEAWW report, he said: "The way they do (hair transplants these days) is they take a single thing (hair)." And: "It's not like the old way of doing it. But they (used to) take a big strip of hair." He ended with: "So there's like a big scar on the back of my head like a smile, for the rest of my life." EssentiallySports reports him saying that modern surgeons "do one individual follicle at a time."

On medicine, the record is thin. The EssentiallySports report on 19.04.2023 says the fighter Darren Till commented "Joe Rogaine" under a clip of Rogan's remarks. That is a joke on a minoxidil brand name. It is not a statement by Rogan and not evidence that he uses it. We found no reliable source in which Rogan says he takes finasteride or minoxidil, so we do not claim either.

For readers who want the facts behind those two drugs, the NHS says finasteride and minoxidil are "the main treatments for male pattern baldness", that they "do not work for everyone", and that they "only work for as long as they're used".

Which Technique Did Joe Rogan Have?

He does not name it. What he describes, a "big strip of hair" and "a big scar" shaped like a smile, matches the older strip method, known as FUT. In that method a surgeon removes a strip of scalp from the back of the head and splits it into grafts, and the wound closes as a line. Follicular unit extraction, or FUE, takes grafts one at a time instead. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that taking individual hairs "takes a lot more time" and avoids a long, narrow scar, and that it can suit people who prefer close-shaven haircuts. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery guide describes both approaches.

This is an inference from his words, not a confirmation. He may have had a mix of methods across three sessions, and no source tells us. For how FUE works today, see our FUE hair transplant guide.

Could a Transplant Work for Hair Loss Like His?

We make no claim about what Rogan's scalp could support. This is how surgeons weigh any case with a receding temple and an old scar.

• Donor supply sets the limit. The AAD says you need enough healthy donor hair that can be moved to the thinning area. After old surgery, a surgeon has to assess how much donor hair is left and where.
• Hair loss continues. The AAD warns that "hair loss and thinning can continue, even after a hair transplant", and a dermatologist may suggest medicine to protect the result.
• Timing matters. The AAD says men in their 20s may be asked to wait and start hair-loss medicine first. Rogan's own timeline, an operation in his twenties, is the kind of case that advice is aimed at.
• Results take months. The AAD says most patients see results between six and nine months after surgery, and some take 12.

Before surgery, the useful first step is knowing your stage. Our Norwood scale guide explains the seven stages, and the Norwood test lets you check your own. If an old scar is your concern, bring photos of it to any consultation. Our Sapphire hair transplant page covers one modern approach.

What Would a Similar Hair Transplant Cost?

Rogan's real costs are unknown, and we do not publish price estimates for celebrity cases. For anyone else, the price follows from the same factors as the graft plan: the extent of loss, the method, the number of grafts and what is included, such as accommodation, transfers and aftercare. At Turkey Hair Center, treatment is offered as one of four fixed packages, each with its contents listed, so you can compare like with like. When you compare quotes from any provider, ask whether the price is fixed or changes with the final graft count. For current packages and what each covers, see our hair transplant cost guide.

So, What Is the Most Evidence-Based Conclusion?

• Known: he had at least one hair transplant, probably in his twenties, regrets it and has a scar at the back of his head.
• Not known: the date, the surgeon, the exact technique, the graft count and whether he used medicine.
• Cannot be determined from photos: the density of the transplant, the shape of the scar or how many sessions he had.

His story is a warning about a different era more than about surgery itself: he describes a strip scar and a result he did not like, and says modern methods work differently. If your hairline is set back at the temples, as in his 2007 photo, the useful lesson is planning. Learn your stage, ask about donor supply and scars, and decide with a specialist whether surgery, medicine or a shaved head suits you. Our celebrity hair transplant guide covers other public cases, such as Bradley Cooper, and our hairstyles for receding hairlines guide covers the shaved option.

Considering Hair Restoration for Your Own Hairline?

A celebrity story cannot tell you what treatment you need. Your donor area, hair-loss pattern, age and goals must be assessed individually. The Turkey Hair Center team can review your photos and give you a free, confidential hair analysis, including a donor-area assessment and a clear view of whether surgery, styling or medicine makes more sense for you now. Procedures are carried out by our team at partner hospitals in Istanbul. Get your free hair analysis through our contact page.

Joe Rogan Hair Transplant FAQs

Did Joe Rogan get a hair transplant?

Yes. He said in a podcast interview, as quoted by several outlets, "I had a hair transplant. It was the dumbest thing I have ever done." The episode number and exact date are unknown.

Why did Joe Rogan shave his head?

He has not given a date or a single reason. He said the transplant "does not really fix it" and that he "should have just shaved my head from the beginning." He also said he "didn't know the freedom" of shaving.

Did Joe Rogan have FUT or FUE?

He has not named the method. He describes a "big strip of hair" and "a big scar on the back of my head like a smile", which matches strip surgery (FUT). He contrasts that with modern surgery that takes "one individual follicle at a time". Treat the label as an inference.

How old was Joe Rogan when he had his hair transplant, and how many did he have?

Reports differ. MEAWW quotes "my first one when I was 26" and "three of them", while EssentiallySports quotes "I think I was 28". Other outlets do not give a number of procedures.

Does Joe Rogan use finasteride or minoxidil?

We found no reliable source in which he says so. The nickname "Joe Rogaine", used in a comment by fighter Darren Till, is a joke, not evidence. The NHS lists both drugs as the main treatments for male pattern baldness and notes they only work while used.

Could a modern hair transplant work for hair loss like Joe Rogan's?

It depends on the donor supply, the pattern of loss and any old scar, and only an in-person assessment can answer it. The AAD says candidates need enough healthy donor hair and that thinning can continue after surgery, so planning and medicine often go together.