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5 min readJAYLEN BROWN HAS never been swayed by public perception. When he was drafted third overall in 2016 by the Boston Celtics, he was famously booed by the fandom in attendance. Eight years later, he led the Celtics to their first NBA Championship in 16 years, winning Finals MVP along the way.
After losing his co-star Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles tendon (along with other key contributors from the 2024 championship roster, including Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford), no one thought the team would be very good this year; few expected them to even make the playoffs. It was supposed to be a gap year. Instead, Brown led the Celtics to the second-best record in the East. He averaged nearly 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, emerging as a legitimate MVP candidate.
That indifference to public opinion showed up in other, less basketball-centric ways as well. In late October, when a hair loss concealing product he was using began rubbing off on opponents’ jerseys during games, he didn’t initially react much. “It was one of those moments where something personal kind of got pulled into the spotlight in real time,” the 29-year-old All-NBA wing tells Men’s Health. When clips began circulating across social media, he was caught off guard. “You realize how quickly something can turn into a viral conversation online,” he says.
But rather than running from what many might have seen as something to be embarrassed about, Brown embraced the moment with humor and intention. While openly addressing the situation live on Twitch, he called up LeBron James and asked his advice on dealing with thinning hair. “We got some real shit to talk about. It's a code red,” he said in a voicemail to James, “Turkey or no turkey? And I ain't talking about no cheese sandwich.”
Brown says that humor is a natural response for him, and has always been part of how he deals with various situations, but this event also called for something more serious. “Talking openly about my hair thinning at that moment, especially on Twitch, was a little vulnerable,” he says, “It’s not something guys always feel comfortable addressing.”
Brown adds that hair health is an extension of overall health, and ignoring it doesn’t help anyone. Brown says he started noticing changes in his hair a couple of years ago. At first, it was just small areas of thinning. Then, as it progressed, he started looking for solutions. After trying the concealing product and consulting with King James on a trip to Turkey, he connected with Nutrafol. Here, he found a solution—one that wouldn’t leave a mark.
The brand is known for its over-the-counter products that effectively fight hair loss, with the Men’s Health Reviews team declaring its shampoo for hair thinning one of the best out there. Where Brown has found success, however, is with its supplement Nutrafol Men. “I’ve been taking Nutrafol Men daily for the past few months, and I’ve started to notice improvements in thickness, less shedding, and more visible coverage along the scalp, which has been encouraging,” he says.
Brown would never be accused of being someone who does the bare minimum or relies on cursory effort and research. This is someone who spent the past offseason learning and memorizing the astrological signs, Chinese zodiac signs, and numerology of each of his teammates so that he could better lead and communicate with them. Brown, for what it’s worth, is a Scorpio, which I’m told tracks.
It’s this level of thorough testing and analysis that drew him to Nutrafol, noting its research-backed formulas, physician recommendations, and NSF Certification. “I’m not looking for shortcuts,” he says. “I wanted something that matched the same discipline and long-term mindset I bring to my training.” Nutrafol Men supplements use a blend of ingredients to attack hair loss, like saw palmetto, ashwagandha, marine collagen, and tocotrienols to target the root causes of hair thinning, including DHT, stress, and inflammation.
The formula supports healthier hair growth by improving scalp conditions and strengthening follicles from within, rather than simply covering up the issue or creating the illusion of thicker hair, which Brown appreciates. “It’s not about masking anything; it’s about taking a more complete, long-term approach,” he says.
Brown also likes how easily the once-daily supplements fit into his routine, as he says most things in his life come down to discipline and consistency. “Faith, Consistency, Hard Work, Pays Off. I implement that into my everyday life,” he says. It’s a philosophy referenced in his Instagram handle, @fchwpo, as well.
After three-plus months of using Nutrafol, this strategy has paid off for his hair, as it has become noticeably thicker to both the All-NBA wing and the media. Not that this journey ever shook his confidence or how he views himself. “Everybody goes through changes, it’s part of life,” he says, “For me, it was about staying grounded and not letting something external define how I show up.”
Clearly, it hasn’t affected his play on the court. The Celtics are currently one win away from closing out the 76ers during the first round of the 2026 playoffs, and Boston looks poised to make another run to the Finals. Going forward into the next round and beyond, Brown feels good—focused, grounded, and disciplined. “Just staying locked in and taking it one game at a time,” he says. “I’m going to keep showing up every night, do what I can to help the team win, and stay healthy through the run.”
As for the larger conversation around hair loss, Brown’s hoping that by publicly discussing his hair loss struggles, men will feel less shame around the topic and be more inclined to take action. “As athletes, we talk about training, recovery, nutrition—everything that impacts performance,” he says. “Hair health is part of that broader conversation around taking care of yourself. The more open we are about it, the less stigma there is.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun with the situation. “You can laugh about it and still take it seriously at the same time,” Brown says.
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Sean Zucker is the Grooming and Reviews Editor at Men's Health. He brings over half a decade of experience covering health, wellness, and lifestyle. When Sean's not writing about hair products, you can find him running for exercise, or toward the nearest food truck.
Christian is the Style and Reviews Director at Men's Health and Women’s Health, where he oversees shopping and style content for both brands. He started his magazine career as an accessories assistant at Vogue, and has since held editorial roles at Tatler Asia and The Manual. When he’s not online shopping, you can find him on long walks with his two corgis.
