Former NFL Offensive Lineman Ross Tucker Restores Hair
This patient story was originally published in 2015 and reflects Ross Tucker’s hair restoration experience at that time. Ross underwent Follicular Unit Excision, or FUE, hair transplant surgery using ARTAS robotic technology, which is no longer offered by Leonard Hair Transplant Associates.
Ross Tucker’s professional football career spanned seven years and five NFL teams, including the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns. After retiring from professional football, Ross began the next phase of his career as a media personality and motivational speaker. Spending more time in front of television cameras made him increasingly aware of his thinning hair.
“You see yourself in the mirror every day and you really don’t notice when your hair starts to thin,” Tucker said. “But, when I started looking at videos of me on TV, all the different angles really showed my hair loss and it hit me. I needed to do something about it.”
Although Ross said his hair loss did not affect his overall confidence, appearance had become more important as his career moved in front of the camera. “In this industry, appearance matters and if I lose a job or opportunity because I’m not good enough, I understand that, but I’m not going to lose out because I didn’t look as good as possible.”
Before considering hair transplant surgery, Ross relied on television makeup artists to help make his thinning less noticeable on camera. While the approach helped, it also added time to his preparation before television appearances. “It became a time-intensive process to get ready before going on camera. And, even though the makeup artists did a great job, it never looked one-hundred percent natural.”
Ross eventually spoke with fellow sportscaster and hair transplant patient Tom Curran, who connected him with Dr. Robert Leonard. He also had the opportunity to speak with other patients, including Wes Welker and Chris Gronkowski, about their experiences with hair transplant surgery before deciding to move forward with treatment himself.
On June 28, 2015, Ross underwent FUE hair transplant surgery at the practice’s Newton, Massachusetts surgical location. His procedure used ARTAS robotic technology, a method offered by Leonard Hair Transplant Associates at that time but no longer used by the practice. Ross described his personal experience with the procedure as comfortable and said he was able to return to his normal activities relatively quickly.
Ross’s goal was straightforward. As someone whose career regularly put him in front of television cameras, he wanted to spend less time having his thinning hair concealed with makeup and feel better about how his hair looked on camera. “I can’t wait to see how much better I’ll look on camera, knowing that my hairline doesn’t have to be enhanced with makeup,” Tucker said.
This article documents Ross Tucker’s experience at the time of his 2015 FUE procedure. Because it was published shortly after his surgery, it should not be interpreted as documentation of his final hair transplant result or as a current treatment recommendation.