Joey Logano made his first public appearance a little over two weeks after NASCAR’s Phoenix finale. He was at a city programme in Huntersville, North Carolina, promoting a development project. But while the purpose of the video on social media was a pedestrian village and over 400,000 square feet of commercial area, fans’ attention was arrested by Logano’s head. That is because it was shining bald – a hairdo that the three-time champion’s fans are not used to.

What Prompted Joey Logano to Shave His Head?

Clearly, the social media campaign for Huntersville’s development project turned into a sea of inquiries about Joey Logano‘s hair. After the overwhelming reactions, the Team Penske star opted to clear the doubts in a video. Many people were actually worried about the clean-shaven head potentially having other health implications. So Logano said, “I got a bunch of text messages and DMs lately about my new haircut. And a lot of people are concerned if I was okay. First off, I appreciate everyone asking if I was okay. I am fine, I am perfectly healthy. Just wanted to get a haircut at the end of the season.”

Then the 37-time Cup Series race winner divulged details of his autoimmune condition. “I have alopecia. I’ve had it for a long time now. So when we were cutting it, it was all flared up, and so it’s all spotty, and so kept cutting it. Now I got a new do. I’m good, like I said. Appreciate everyone caring. Didn’t think it would be this big of a story, but after getting so many text messages, I felt like I probably should let everyone know I’m alright.”

How Alopecia Has Affected Joey Logano Over the Years

In August 2019, Joey Logano returned home from a haircut, but his wife, Brittany, had a surprised reaction. “What did they do to the back of your head?” To Logano’s surprise as well, chunks of hair were missing on patchy spots at the back of his head. And his hair did not grow back either. Then a doctor diagnosed Logano with Alopecia Areata, a common autoimmune disease that attacks a person’s hair follicles.

Initially, he deferred shaving his head. Immediately after his diagnosis, Joey Logano decided to appear at a NASCAR playoffs media day without a hat. His purpose was noble: he hoped others with the condition could feel the same if they knew a NASCAR champion was going through the same thing. “Everybody has something they battle with health-wise, one way or the other,” Logano said. “No matter what it is, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. God is going to give you challenges to deal with, and that’s what tests your character.”

Yet Joey Logano did not cease his medical treatment, though. Logano’s hair has long been part of his public story. He won the 2018 Cup Series title with a full head of hair and entered 2022 with a severely receding hairline. Then he sought the help of HairClub.

When Logano Tried Hair Replacement

In December 2022, Joey Logano partnered with HairClub for a non-surgical hair replacement system he promoted on social media. He drove a Polaris RZR XP 1000 on a dirt track and halted right in front of our camera. As he boldly lifted his helmet, fans could see a striking feature. Joey confidently flipped his new lush, brown hair.

Although he was not afraid to appear in public with his damaged hair, the Team Penske star sought a solution that went beyond simply covering it up with hats or helmets. He opted for HairClub’s hair replacement systems, which are premium human hair replacement systems that refine the wearer with a realistic front hairline for a perfect blend. Unlike hair transplants or other surgical options, these are non-invasive, causing no scalp harm, infection, or scarring. Moreover, the systems are also versatile, suiting many hair loss types.

Nevertheless, we now know that Logano has ditched this solution and opted to be more natural with a bald head.

Why Logano’s Transparency Matters for Athletes With Hair Loss

When Joey Logano discovered his hair loss condition, one thing stood out to him. That did not concern his looks or personal aesthetic. As a NASCAR Cup Series driver who competes for a powerhouse team, Logano needs to be in the spotlight for most days in a year. The cameras and attention make it mandatory for a high-profile athlete such as him to be presentable. And this does not just affect Logano, but other famous athletes as well.

Nevertheless, Joey Logano has always preferred to keep it in perspective. He acknowledged that he might be the worst-affected among people with hair loss problems. He said in 2019, “If you’re a kid in school or if you’re a woman, it’s probably even harder to deal with something like this. For me, I’m OK with it. But I don’t have high school kids making fun of me either, and I’m old enough and have been through enough where I can handle it. I just want to give support to people dealing with the same thing.”

Joey Logano’s transparency echoes the approach adopted by Kyle Busch‘s wife, Samantha Busch. She has also been dealing with alopecia for many years now, and chooses to be completely clear about it in public. And her purpose resonates with Logano’s – to instill confidence in other people facing the same issue.