Rumours suggest Floyd Mayweather underwent a hair and beard transplant after debuting a fuller hairline and facial hair in 2021, though he has never officially confirmed it. Examine all the evidence of Floyd Mayweather’s hair transplant below.
Discover the evidence behind Floyd Mayweather’s rumoured hair and beard transplant, learn which procedure he may have chosen, understand the unique considerations for Afro hair transplants, and find out why choosing an experienced clinic is key to achieving optimal natural-looking results without compromising on safety.
Key takeaways
Floyd Mayweather has never confirmed having a hair transplant. But changes to his hairline and beard have fuelled speculation that he has undergone hair transplantation surgery.
If Floyd Mayweather did have a procedure, FUE appears the most likely option. That said, FUT is often preferable for some Afro hair-textured patients, depending on the patient’s hair characteristics and restoration goals.
Mayweather may have travelled to Turkey for his hair transplant, though it remains unclear exactly where he had his procedure.
We estimate Floyd Mayweather had a total of 3,500 to 4,500 grafts to enhance his beard and hair growth, giving him more flexibility over his appearance and a natural-looking hairline and beard growth.
The Wimpole Clinic is home to surgeons who specialise in hair transplants for all hair textures, including Afro hair. Our experienced surgeons tailor FUT, FUE or combined approaches to each patient’s individual needs to achieve the most natural-looking results.
Contributor
After decades in the spotlight sporting his iconic bald look, Floyd Mayweather suddenly started appearing in public with a full (albeit cropped) head of hair and a much fuller beard around 2021. This led to speculation that Floyd Mayweather had a hair and beard transplant a few months previously.
While Mayweather has never officially confirmed or denied having a hair transplant, there are a few clues to support the speculation:
So while there’s been no official confirmation, it appears that Floyd Mayweather probably has had a hair and beard transplant to enhance his hairline and facial hair.
Floyd Mayweather has long been associated with a completely shaved head, giving him an instantly recognizable look both in and out of the ring. But since his most recent retirement, we’ve seen him with substantially more hair.
Let’s take a closer look at how Floyd Mayweather’s hair has changed over the years, and whether he’s likely to have undergone a hair transplant to achieve his new look.
Prior to 2020, it was pretty standard to see Floyd Mayweather pictured with the same iconic look: hair shaved down to the scalp, and a short tidy goatee beard. Here’s Mayweather sporting this look, pictured in 2019:
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather)
A post shared by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather)
Mayweather’s hair is so closely shaved it’s hard to see exactly where his hairline starts. Photos from 2012 show a fairly straight but high hairline, with a few thinning patches.
Thanks for all the support and God Bless to everyone who wrote me http://t.co/9ldeYC2V— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) August 3, 2012
Thanks for all the support and God Bless to everyone who wrote me http://t.co/9ldeYC2V
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) August 3, 2012
Aged 35 at this time, it’s possible he was still in the early stages of thinning, as many men don’t start losing their hair until their late 30s, 40s, or even later. Black men are generally less likely to lose their hair early compared with white men [1]. So by 2020, at the age of 43, Mayweather’s hair loss may have progressed, prompting him to opt for a hair transplant.
In January 2021, Floyd Mayweather posted a photo of himself with short beard growth around the cheeks and jawline, compared with visibly thicker growth in the goatee area. The defined edges of the beard and distinct difference in growth level are perhaps the clearest evidence that Floyd Mayweather has had a beard transplant.
Since then, Floyd has consistently worn his hair cropped, although not as closely shaved as he did throughout his boxing career. So it looks likely that he’s had a hair transplant to give him the flexibility to wear his hair a little longer.
The hair transplantation process works for all hair types, but there are specific nuances for people with Afro hair. The curly or coily hair texture makes Afro hair more prone to graft damage on extraction, which is why FUT is sometimes recommended over FUE.
Dr Chirag Gadhia, a hair transplant surgeon at the Wimpole Clinic, explains:
“Hair texture can significantly influence whether we recommend the FUT or FUE procedure. In extreme cases — such as when a patient has extensive hair loss in the temporal region, hairline, frontal forelock, and midscalp — FUT may be a more optimal solution, especially when combined with FUE, as this approach can yield a higher total graft count. In Afro-Caribbean hair types, where curlier roots can make FUE extraction more challenging, FUT may be a more desirable option as it reduces the risk of follicular transection.”
FUT involves removing a strip of skin and then dissecting this into individual grafts in the lab, while FUE involves extracting each graft individually. FUE therefore leaves less visible scarring compared with FUT, but also carries a higher risk of damaging the grafts.
That said, it’s perfectly possible for people with Afro hair textures to have FUE. It’s just about knowing the risks and choosing a surgeon with experience of working with your hair type.
It’s not known where Floyd Mayweather got his hair transplant, but rumours have circulated it was in Turkey, where hair transplantation (and cosmetic surgery more broadly) is a massive industry. However, the normal motivation for getting a hair transplant in Turkey — where costs are low but the chance of working with a black market hair mill is high — is money.
Floyd Mayweather is one of the highest paid athletes of all time, so it’s unlikely he needed to save a couple of thousand dollars by going to Turkey for a hair transplant [2]. That said, anecdotal evidence indicates he may have chosen to go to Turkey for his surgery anyway.
Hair transplant costs in Turkey are cheap, so saving money is normally the key reward of getting a hair transplant in Turkey. If you do enough research — confirming exactly who your surgeon will be and where your surgery will take place — you can get a low-cost hair transplant that also looks good.
But it’s much more of a lottery than getting a hair transplant locally, where safety standards are higher and harder to evade, and you have support on hand in case of complications. The rate of poor results, complications, and even hair transplant-related deaths is higher in Turkey compared with the UK and the US.
Hair transplant costs in the UK vs Turkey aren’t always prohibitively high, so don’t compromise on your health and safety for a cheap overseas hair transplant. Attend consultations at a range of local clinics as well as those abroad to get a true picture of your potential costs and results.
If Floyd Mayweather did have a hair transplant, it’s likely he opted for FUE. Despite FUT often being recommended for people with Afro hair types, there are several reasons why Mayweather likely chose to have an FUE procedure instead:
There’s no definitive answer, as Floyd Mayweather hasn’t revealed the number of hair grafts he received. Based on his pre-transplant hairline, it’s estimated around 2,000 to 2,500 grafts would have been needed to straighten and lower his hairline.
A further 1,500 to 2,000 grafts may have been used to fill out Floyd Mayweather’s beard area, giving him fuller, more uniform facial hair.
Use our online hair graft calculator tool to estimate how many hair grafts you might need to achieve your desired hairline and density.
Photographic evidence suggests that, yes, Floyd Mayweather has had a beard transplant in addition to his hairline transplant. It’s likely this took place at the same time as his hair transplant.
If you’re a good candidate for a hair transplant and a beard transplant, it is possible to have surgery to tackle both of these areas simultaneously. Doing so can help you reduce overall time off work and even lower the cost of your procedure, as you’ll be addressing two areas in a single session.
However, it’s important to note you might need extended recovery time, as you’ll be undertaking a larger surgery than if you were to tackle each area separately. You’ll probably need at least 2 weeks off work, or possibly longer depending on the nature of your job.
It’s also essential that you work with a surgeon with experience of performing both hairline and facial hair transplants. Graft selection and placement differs dramatically between these areas, so your surgeon should be highly skilled and experienced at each of these procedures. You’ll also need to ensure you have enough donor grafts to achieve the desired coverage across both areas.
Fantastic hair transplants are no longer exclusive to the rich and famous, though the increase in athletic hair transplants is contributing to the boom in popularity. At the Wimpole Clinic, we’ve enhanced the hairlines of many athletes, performing both Ben Stokes’s hair transplant and Rob Holding’s hair transplant procedures to public acclaim.
But our high-quality hair transplants aren’t just for sports stars. At our award-winning hair transplant clinic, we welcome people from all walks of life who are worried about hair loss. We offer free, professional consultations, so you can find out exactly what your hair restoration options are and how we can support you to achieve your desired results.
With clinic locations on Harley Street and around the UK, it’s never been more convenient to tackle your hair loss. Book a consultation at your nearest Wimpole Clinic location to get started.
Learn more about other celebrity hair transplants and athletic hair restoration procedures in these frequently asked questions.
Yes, combat sport athletes like boxers and MMA fighters can safely get a hair transplant. But you will need plenty of downtime between having your procedure and getting back in the ring.
It’s likely you’ll be advised to wait at least 4 weeks before any training that could involve heavy physical contact with your head, until your scabs have completely healed and all the signs of surgery have cleared.
Most people have a safe upper limit of around 6,000 harvestable grafts [3]. Extracting more than this can leave your donor area looking sparse. That’s why it’s important to work with surgeons who manage your donor area conservatively, giving you plenty of scope to have future transplants should you want them.
This is especially important if you’re having a hair and beard transplant, as you only have a maximum of 6,000 grafts to cover both areas. So you may need to choose between achieving coverage or density.
Like Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor has never publicly acknowledged having had a hair transplant. But also like his former opponent, there are a few telltale signs of Conor McGregor’s hair transplant — in his case, a newly straightened hairline compared with previous thinning around his temples.
Yes. Former professional boxer George Groves had a hair transplant back in 2019, resulting in a much fuller, straighter hairline that looks completely natural.
Wimpole Clinic Services:
Hair Transplants, Beard Transplants & Eyebrow Transplants.
Talk to a specialist
Dr Laila Ahmad (GMC: 6134794) graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2006 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). She completed her postgraduate training in General Practice in 2013 and is a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP).
Throughout her medical career, Dr Ahmad has gained broad clinical experience across a range of surgical specialties within the NHS, including general surgery, breast surgery, ear, nose and throat (ENT), and obstetrics and gynaecology. Her work in several hospitals across the North East of England has provided her with a strong surgical foundation and a comprehensive understanding of patient care.
Following her general practice qualification, Dr Ahmad undertook advanced training in hair restoration surgery under the mentorship of pioneering hair transplant surgeon Mr Michael May at the prestigious Wimpole Clinic on Harley Street. She has also trained alongside leading hair restoration surgeon Dr Ahmad Moussa, a neurosurgeon with extensive expertise in complex hair restoration procedures.
As a result of this rigorous and specialist training, Dr Ahmad has developed significant expertise in advanced hair restoration techniques. She is proficient in performing follicular unit extraction (FUE) and eyebrow restoration procedures, applying meticulous precision and refined technical skill to each case.
In clinical practice, she manages a wide spectrum of complex hair restoration cases. Her approach integrates scientific methodology and detailed surgical planning with an appreciation for aesthetic balance, ensuring results that are both technically precise and naturally harmonious.
With a strong artistic sensibility, Dr Ahmad is particularly skilled in designing natural hairlines and eyebrow patterns tailored to each individual patient. She maintains a patient-centred ethos, delivering hair restoration procedures to the highest clinical standards while prioritising safety, personalised care, and optimal aesthetic outcomes.
