Joey Logano: Alopecia Doesn’t Slow Me Down

Joey Logano [00:00:05]: Well, when the alopecia thing started up, that’s when they just did some, like, steroid shots. And for one, I didn’t really like the needles in my head for one thing. And it wasn’t working. That was the other thing that really wasn’t working. And I was like, okay, I need to, that’s when I drop back and punt here, there’s something. we’re not going down the right road here. I need to kind of find something better and different.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:59]: Welcome back to HairPod, the podcast where we dive into the personal stories, the struggles and the ultimate transformations of those facing hair loss. I’m your host, Kevin Rolston, and we’re here to shed light on this experience so many people share and most importantly, the solutions that have brought confidence back into their lives. If you’re dealing with hair loss, remember you have got a community right here. And if this is your first time listening, please subscribe to get notified whenever we have a new, inspiring story. Anyone who is a fan of NASCAR knows the name Joey Logano. Joey is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and has made waves in the world of stock car racing with his achievements. But newer fans may not know that Joey has struggled with an autoimmune disorder called alopecia, which causes partial or total hair loss. Joey learned of his alopecia after a routine trip to the barber.

Joey Logano [00:01:55]: Well, it’s actually kind of mean, at this point, now it’s a funny story, but at the time I just went to get my haircut like I typically do at the local barber shop. And I got home and my wife goes, what did they do to the back of your head? I’m like, oh, what do you mean, what did they do babe? They gave me a haircut. She goes, they completely botched your haircut. I’m like, no way. And she shows me a picture and it’s just spots all over the back of my head. I’m like, well, it did botch my haircut. She’s pissed.

Joey Logano [00:02:22]: She’s like, this lady that cut your hair should not be working there. She’s going to screw up someone else’s haircut and then everyone’s going to look ridiculous like you look. And so she drives down there to tell this lady how she shouldn’t be cutting hair anymore. Well, fast forward a week or so and it’s not growing back. I’m like, hold on, I think there’s something wrong. I went to a dermatologist and they diagnosed me with alopecia. And I was like, okay, well, I don’t know what that means and what do I do? And the first thing I knew what it meant was that we need to drive back to the barbershop and apologize to the poor lady that cut my hair. That was the first thing we had to do.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:02]: Yeah, because I’m curious, alopecia, how many bald spots did you have? How prominent was it?

Joey Logano [00:03:10]: It comes in and out, honestly, it comes in and out sometimes in the back of my head, top of my head. Sometimes it shows up in my beard.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:18]: Oh, wow.

Joey Logano [00:03:19]: It’s different ways. It’s an autoimmune disorder, is what it is.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:23]: Okay.

Joey Logano [00:03:24]: There’s no rhyme or reason. They can’t really understand it. They say maybe stress, hereditary. They don’t know. On top of the alopecia, I was just going bald. Right? Like, that was the other piece.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:35]: Wait, do you ever come under any stress at all? What do you do that’s so stressful?

Joey Logano [00:03:40]: Yes. It just flared up here not too long ago. So it makes sense as the playoffs usually roll around, there’s a lot of stress that gets put on the plate. Yeah. Driving circles never fast enough is what it is, though. So always looking for more on that one.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:01]: It’s common for people who are losing their hair to try a few different solutions before they find one that works for them. Things such as reducing stress, changing their diet, taking supplements, essential oils, grandma’s remedies. Shoot, I got to admit, I have tried some crazy ideas myself. So you are like a lot of guys. You notice that you’ve got some hair loss issues, you’ve got a unique situation. And the reason why we’re doing the HairPod is because we’re trying to let people know that there are solutions out there. And it sounds like your first step was what a lot of guys’ first step is. And being in NASCAR like you are, you were able to wear a lot of hats.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:41]: But then tell me about the challenges with that, because I know being in the field that I’m in, where you do media is, you wind up with these social functions where a hat’s just not going to cut it. You kind of wound up with the same situation.

Joey Logano [00:04:55]: Yeah. And it happened whether, you know, you think about, for our stuff during the national anthem or the prayer before the race, you take your head off and then you see, like, pictures and stuff afterwards. You’re like, golly, I’m like, I’m bald, honey. You kind of don’t realize it because it happens so slow, you know what I mean? But then eventually it’s like, yeah, I should just do something about it. I can, so why wouldn’t I? What’s wrong with that? And a lot of people, it’s a little awkward what direction we’re supposed to go here? But honestly, it’s normal, right. So many people deal with it, and if you can do something about it, why wouldn’t you? There’s nothing wrong with that. And who’s going to judge you for that, for wanting to be better? Right. Why do you go to the gym and work out? To be better. Look good, feel good.

Joey Logano [00:05:38]: Right. That’s kind of the same situation, I think, with your hair. And if it bothers you and you can gain some confidence from having hair, the great thing is that there’s a lot of different ways of going about it that you can have hair again. And I think that part’s pretty neat.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:03]: But after pursuing other options, Joey connected with HairClub as a hair solution and a partner and even a sponsor. Was your very first attempt at trying to do something about your hair loss, was it going to HairClub or did you try something else before going to HairClub?

Joey Logano [00:06:22]: I wasn’t educated enough to even know which direction to go and I just went to my local dermatologist that I’ve gone to and they have a couple options there, but they weren’t, like, great ones. When the alopecia thing started up, that’s when they just did some steroid shots where the alopecia spots were. And for one, I didn’t really like the needles in my head, for one thing, and it wasn’t working. That was the other thing, that really wasn’t working. And I was like, okay, that’s when I drop back and punt here. There’s something…I’m not going down the right road here. I need to kind of find something better and different. And so then when I went to HairClub it’s like, whoa, there’s a lot of different things I can do here depending on my situation.

Joey Logano [00:07:11]: And I learned about all the things they have and like I said, it’s different for everybody. Your issues would be completely different than mine and there’s a fix for all of them. And I couldn’t believe how many different avenues there was when I got there. That is the part that blew my mind. And they all were pretty simple, right? It was all quick and easy, okay, you can do this, you can do that. Some were permanent, some you got to be around a little bit more often. It just kind of depends on what your situation was. And so I was like, cool.

Joey Logano [00:07:40]: I felt really comfortable after leaving HairClub the first time because I walked in there feeling awkward and uncomfortable. And I thought at the end I was like, okay, I’m usually not a quick decision maker. And I was like, okay, well, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to do that. Sounds good, see you next week.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:06]: When most people find a solution with the new hair system, one of the natural concerns is what are my limits? Being a race car driver, Joey naturally has an extremely active lifestyle. Flying around the track at nearly 200 mph, your hair is the last thing you want to worry about. So I had to know if Joey ever got nervous about bringing his hair system into new situations.

Joey Logano [00:08:31]: Only in the beginning I was nervous. Now I’m not. I’m not now because I feel very confident in everything now. But at first when things are new, you’re like, I don’t know, I don’t know about this jet ski. You know what I mean? I don’t know where I’m at with stuff. But you honestly kind of figure out your way, your things go and everything, and you get confident and comfortable in what you got, and it’s fine. But I’m telling you, when I asked a lot of questions before to a lot of people, I’m like, that’s fine, and they look at you like, you’re an idiot. Yeah, you can live your normal life.

Joey Logano [00:09:10]: What are you talking about? And I’m like, okay, well, I just wanted to ask, I don’t know. I’m being honest. It took a month or so before you get used to, for one, seeing yourself with hair. Right. You look in the mirror and you’re like, oh, who’s that guy? It takes a second to get used to it, for one. And then also how to live with it, just the way you live your life. Right. Like, all that stuff, like, you’re concerned it’s going to change and do all stuff, but it’s really just not a big deal.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:48]: What is the temperature like for you, and how does the hair feel? Because you got a helmet on, you’re in a car. I mean, I know I’m in South Florida, so when you come to Miami, Homestead, the temperatures in that car have got to be absolutely insane. So how breathable is your hair, and what does it feel like when you’re in those extreme temperatures?

Joey Logano [00:10:10]: I wouldn’t even know.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:11]: Yeah.

Joey Logano [00:10:11]: Wouldn’t even really?

Kevin Rolston [00:10:12]: Okay.

Joey Logano [00:10:15]: Honestly, you think the conditions that I am in inside a race car, it’s 30 degrees warmer than the outside air temp. So when you have a 90 degree day, it’s 120 degrees in the car. We just raced in Texas. It was 100 degrees outside. It was over 130 in the car.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:33]: That’s insane. Wow. Nothing.

Joey Logano [00:10:34]: I get right out and walk away. I don’t think twice about it, I got other things to worry about when I’m in the race car. If hair was one of them, I don’t want that distraction. I wouldn’t want the distraction. It’s not worth it to me as a competitor, this is like I wouldn’t even know. You know what I mean? I get out and I walk out, right. All I do now is I fix my hair a little bit before I get out of the car, because I actually have it.

Joey Logano [00:10:58]: You know what I mean? That’s the only thing that’s different.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:01]: What about the reactions you get? Have you ever had another driver tease you about your hair? Has there been anybody that’s done anything that’s made you feel self-conscious about it? And tell me a little bit about the confidence that having the hair does for you.

Joey Logano [00:11:15]: Yeah, the shock factor is real. There’s no way around that. Like, you first show up and be like, whoa, what’s different? What happened? It took a little bit for people to just kind of get used to it. Now it’s never even really brought up, which is what you want to get to, I think. Right. You don’t really want it to be a topic of conversation everywhere you go. But for me, think about it, I’m in the public eye as much as a race car driver can be, at least.

Joey Logano [00:11:45]: And so you’re getting a lot of reactions the first few days especially because when I first started having it, we raced at the LA Coliseum and one of the big banners there was a HairClub banner and it said Ask Joey. I’m like everybody’s asking me about it because it says to ask me. Well, I don’t think I have the best experience there, most realistic experience for the normal customer. They were telling people to ask me about my hair. So it’s probably a lot different for the normal customer, that’s not advertising it as much as I am.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:29]: So then if you’re going to do an appearance, say you’re on an American Idol, you’re doing Sharknado Twelve or something like that. Are you confident with how you do the hair yourself? Because for some people they feel like they can never get the hair the way a hairdresser does and it’s hard to style. And that is one of the things when you do have hair, you have the potential to have to style it and there’s a little bit of work that goes into it.

Joey Logano [00:12:53]: Well, there’s an education that goes into it because I didn’t know what to do at first, because it took a few times to learn how to style your hair. Because I was like, man, it just doesn’t look right or it doesn’t look as good as when I left HairClub. And honestly, I got trained as a girl. Show me how you do it. Give me the comb. Let me do it. Let me put the stuff, give me the stuff I need and fix me up. Train me how to, I want to make it look as good, so I learned how to do it.

Joey Logano [00:13:28]: It’s kind of funny because before I just combed my hair to make it look like I had hair, whatever hairstyle made it look like I had the most hair, you know what I mean? I had the comb over going and now it’s like, I can do anything I want. What do I do? There’s too many options. I don’t know what to do. So I had to learn a little bit. I want to look good, right? I do a lot of things on TV and as a race car driver, not just driving the car, but I do a lot of TV broadcasts and stuff like that for the Xfinity series, which is one level down from the cup series, but I end up doing the broadcast a lot for them. So I want things to look fresh all the time, look good. So I’m probably more of a frequent customer than most, but the option is there to go either way for sure. I try to schedule everything so I do it when I’m at home, but I can.

Joey Logano [00:14:30]: And I have been to other locations but not for a haircut or anything like that or freshen up or whatever. I’ve always kind of stuck to what I do, and I try to be consistent as much as I can, but we all know sometimes stuff comes up and you’re like, I can’t do it this week, but I got to get in there before I leave for, because sometimes I’m gone from home for a week at a time. I got to get in there before I leave, and can you fit me in here? And then it’s like, hey, hang on a second. They kind of move things around. Boom. Okay, you get in there. I’m like, all right, cool, and try to work together on that stuff. But I tried to be consistent and say, okay, this is when I’m going to be there.

Joey Logano [00:15:08]: This is what I’m going to, but yeah I mean, things change at the blink of an eye a lot of times and in our life, for sure. Yeah.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:17]: Now, I know you’ve got three kids and they’ve got something called Hair Club for Kids. Can you tell me a little bit about the Hair Club for Kids, why it really strikes your heart and why you think it’s such an important charity that HairClub does?

Joey Logano [00:15:30]: There’s a few kids that I know that have gone through that piece for them. And one of my friends that was part of the JL Kids Crew, where we bring kids to the racetrack, they’re going through a life-altering situation one way or another, and we bring them to the racetrack, give them this great experience and all that. Well, one of them that became good friends of us, actually is one of their Hair Club for Kids as well. And you just help give them confidence. Right. There’s already something different already, right. And people, it’s tough for them. Think about it, like as a kid showing up, being different than everybody else.

Joey Logano [00:16:10]: As an adult, you can somewhat handle that because you’ve gone through more of life or you’re more confident in yourself, you know who you are, those type of things. But as a kid, man, it’s even harder because you don’t know. And now you’re the different kid. And like I said, kids that aren’t real nice are going to say things, and it’s horrible, and it’s not their fault, right. It just happens. So the fact that HairClub came up with a fix for them in a charitable way, right. That part’s really neat.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:52]: HairClub is the solution that works for Joey. For so many people experiencing hair loss, the idea of going in and getting a consultation is really what’s holding them back. It’s difficult. Some people feel embarrassed about the whole thing, and others just feel that’s not going to work. Having been in their shoes, Joey offered sound advice to help those hesitant to take the first step.

Joey Logano [00:17:15]: I would say just go get the consultation and get comfortable going there the first time. Don’t make a decision before you’ve walked into the place, yes or no. Just say, hey, I’ve noticed I’ve been losing my hair. I’ve noticed I have an issue with this, this or this. And is there anything you guys got here, and let them do their job. Let them go in there and say, okay, evaluate what’s going on and send you some options. That’s like, my regret is that I wish I did something like that first. I wish I did that years ago, instead of waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. If you get ahead of it, it’s a little easier.

Joey Logano [00:17:57]: And you don’t have that shock factor as much either, right? If you get ahead of it a little bit, like when it’s starting. And it’s been really cool for me to see how many people reached out to me saying, what did you do? I want to do something. I just didn’t know where to go or what to do or who to talk to. And all of a sudden I became that guy. And I’m like, I got you. I got the hookup, bro. Don’t you worry. I send them in.

Joey Logano [00:18:23]: So I think that part to me has been a lot of fun because it’s an insecurity that a lot of people have. It’s something that people don’t feel comfortable a lot of times talking about. And why not? Why not talk about it? It is what it is. You can’t do anything about it, so do something about it. You’re one fix. You got one option here. So what’s it hurt to go talk to somebody? This is what they do. So it’s not awkward when you get there because this is what they’re used to.

Joey Logano [00:18:53]: They’re used to people that don’t have hair, right. And then they give you hair. That’s their job. So it’s not even awkward at all.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:59]: That’s amazing. Well, you have a fantastic hair story. I love how you’ve embraced it. Awesome talking with you. Thanks for sharing your story, Joey.

Joey Logano [00:19:07]: Absolutely. Thanks for doing this.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:23]: That was Joey Logano. Dealing with alopecia is a challenge and it’s great to hear how Joey’s overcome that challenge and gone on to thrive and feel confident in the public eye. And if you haven’t done so already, follow him on Instagram at Joey Logano. If somebody you know is battling alopecia, let them know there is hope. Share this episode with them. It would go a long way. Thanks for listening to HairPod. If you haven’t done so, subscribe and leave us a rating and a review.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:53]: It would mean a ton to see Joey’s before and after pictures. Stay up to date on upcoming episodes. Get excellent tips about your hair or just connect with us. Follow us on Instagram at HairClub. Until next time.