Update: June 2025
Did Tiger Woods have Hair Transplants?
According to Dr. Gary Linkov’s analysis, Tiger Woods had two FUT (strip) hair transplant procedures in 2012 and 2017 respectively. The doctor estimates that Tiger’s surgeon managed to move 3,000 grafts to his frontal and mid-scalp regions across the two surgeries.
If Tiger really had FUT hair transplants, it would be quite surprising. FUE hair transplants are now far more popular. See my past poll on FUT versus FUE hair transplants. Per ISHRS statistics, around 70% of hair transplants are now FUE only. While FUE hair transplants are significantly more expensive that FUT hair transplants on a per graft basis, this consideration would be immaterial for a man of Tiger’s net worth.
Update: October 2019
Tiger Woods is about to tie Sam Snead by winning the ZOZO golf tournament in Japan. Tiger’s hair loss is still obvious.
August 11, 2014
Tiger Woods Hair Loss and Receding Hairline
Golfer Tiger Woods has been clearly losing his hair since his early 30s, and perhaps even showed signs of a receding hairline earlier. In the past, he rarely discussed his hair loss and balding, but this has changed recently. In the below video from 2014, he talks about his battle fighting androgenetic alopecia (aka male pattern baldness).
Edit: The original video was removed from YouTube, but you can read about it here.
Another newer video of Tiger Woods discussing his hair loss:
Why doesn’t she shave her head? Women with that child-like mind think hair is not important to men. Well guess what, it is for men and women both. Why don’t women stop sabotaging men’s hair behind their backs as it is plain to see when a man’s face is all oily after a few hours of taking a shower as it has happened to me after a women went into my restroom 3 months after I purchased a new home and all of a sudden my hair was falling out and thinning and my face and scalp became very oily over night. And before that my hair was looking great and I was feeling good about myself and then that happened. It is plain to see men be aware of this for your hair’s sake. It is totally evil and something from the devil to do this to another human.
I was told by a reasonably credible transplant doc that graft survival rate is better for thick, curly hair with FUT then FUE. Not sure if that’s true, since he’s the doc that gave me PRP that did nothing and was then trying to upsell me to a HT procedure.
I have thick, coarse, wavy hair. Pretty sure Admin knows who I’m talking about. Not a guy I’d go to for a procedure. Would avoid any doc who offers treatments beyond HT’s and medical intervention. Just my personal feeling after seeing and having fallen for plenty of marketing gimmicks.
Linear scar from fut is undesirable.
Not the point-
If you watch Dr. Linkov’s video he shows the scar and also based upon the initial year Woods probably had the FUT procedure as it was widely practiced vs FUE during that time. Its not about $$ its about what medical procedure was available and most widely practiced.
Of course it’s not about the cost for Woods as I specified in the post.
In 2012 and 2017, FUE was already popular. Any quality surgeon would have given Woods the option. Unless his curly hair was still deemed unsuitable for FUE. Nowadays, I don’t think it’s an issue.
No doubt admin, Tiger would go the FUT route if the best option. FUE was already a thing, there are ways to help with scar healing, concealing, and money wasn’t obviously an issue. Thanks for underscoring what I’d heard was probably the case for Tiger.