Rob Ninkovich Hair Loss Treatment Boston | New England Patriots

Rob Ninkovich spent eight seasons with the New England Patriots, becoming one of the most dependable players on a defense that helped bring two more Super Bowl championships to New England. The defensive end and linebacker was a two time team co captain known for his versatility, preparation and ability to make important plays when the Patriots needed them. While his NFL career eventually came to an end, another issue he had been dealing with since his twenties never completely went away. Like millions of men, Rob was experiencing male pattern hair loss.

“I first started to notice my thinning hair when I was in my early twenties,” Ninkovich said. With a family history of hair loss, Rob knew there was a good chance his thinning would continue to progress. In 2013, while still playing for the Patriots, he visited Leonard Hair Transplant Associates in Newton, Massachusetts to learn what he could do about it. He also had the benefit of seeing hair restoration up close because former Patriots teammate Wes Welker had already become a patient of the practice. Rob had seen Welker’s results firsthand, giving him a real world example from someone he knew and trusted.

Rob’s treatment ultimately took a different path from Welker’s. Rather than undergoing hair transplant surgery, Rob began managing his hair loss with non-surgical treatment. His approach has evolved over the years, and today Dr. Matthew Lopresti continues to treat Rob with PRP with ACell along with laser hair therapy. That ongoing relationship is important because male pattern hair loss is progressive, and managing it can be a long term process rather than a single decision made at one point in time.

PRP with ACell uses a concentrated portion of the patient’s own blood combined with ACell and injected into areas of the scalp affected by thinning hair. The treatment is designed to help stabilize ongoing hair loss and, in some patients, improve the appearance of hair density. Unlike FUE or FUT hair transplant surgery, PRP with ACell does not involve removing donor hair and transplanting it into another area of the scalp. It is a nonsurgical option that can be used as part of a broader plan for maintaining existing hair.

For Rob, the idea of PRP was already familiar. During his NFL career, he had received PRP treatment for football injuries, so when Dr. Lopresti began offering PRP with ACell for hair loss, Rob was interested in learning whether it could become part of his hair restoration plan. “I’d previously used PRP to treat playing injuries throughout my football career, so I was familiar with the process,” Ninkovich said. “It was extremely successful for me then, and I am excited to start PRP treatments for my hair loss.”

That was in 2019, several years after Rob first became a patient. He has continued treating his hair loss since then, and Dr. Matthew Lopresti now oversees his ongoing PRP with ACell treatment. Rob also continues to use laser hair therapy as part of his approach to maintaining his existing hair. His experience shows a side of hair restoration that receives less attention than surgery but is important for many patients, particularly those who begin addressing thinning hair before significant loss has occurred.

Hair restoration does not automatically mean a hair transplant. Dr. Lopresti evaluates factors including a patient’s age, pattern and progression of hair loss, existing hair, donor area and long term goals before discussing treatment options. Some patients may ultimately be candidates for FUE or FUT hair transplant surgery, while others may benefit from nonsurgical treatments designed to help maintain the hair they still have. The appropriate approach can also change over time as hair loss progresses and a patient’s needs change.

Rob is also part of a notable group of New England Patriots players who have turned to Leonard Hair Transplant Associates for hair restoration, including Wes Welker, Christian Fauria, Sebastian , Vollmer and Chris Gronkowski. Their experiences have not all involved the same treatment, which is an important distinction. Welker underwent hair transplant surgery, while Rob has continued managing his hair loss without surgery. Different players, different patterns of hair loss and different treatment plans, all connected through the same New England practice.

What began with Rob noticing thinning hair in his early twenties has become a relationship with Leonard Hair Transplant Associates that has continued for more than a decade and well beyond his NFL playing career. Today, Dr. Matthew Lopresti continues to treat Rob with PRP with ACell as part of his ongoing hair restoration plan, giving the practice a chance to follow his hair loss over time rather than treating a single moment in its progression.

Patients experiencing thinning hair or male pattern hair loss can schedule a complimentary consultation to learn which options may be appropriate for them. Leonard Hair Transplant Associates offers both surgical and nonsurgical hair restoration treatments for men and women, with in person consultations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island as well as Telehealth video consultations for patients throughout the United States. Call 1 800-GET-HAIR to get started.