A British man, only known as Bradley, was devastated after being turned down on a first date for being bald, but he’s now catching attention with his youthful looks following a hair transplant in Turkey. The Brit said he is very happy with the results, which saw him with a full head of hair.
The 28-year-old remembers the crushing encounter: “I’d used an old picture of myself on Facebook. When my date saw me in real life and realised I was basically bald, she told me she didn’t want to continue seeing me. She literally said it was because of my hair. I was 22, still young, and that stuck with me.”
He branded the knockback as his “worst experience” connected to his hair loss, which started in his teenage years, reported the Mirror US.
Bradley went to extraordinary measures to hide his receding hair, trying out side partings, sea salt sprays, gels, and caps, but nothing proved effective. His mates even mocked him with the nickname “crafty comb” because of his efforts at covering the bare spots.
He mourned: “I hated when it was rainy or windy outside. I’d put a lot of effort into styling my hair, and the minute I got out, it was all messed up. My whole day would just be ruined.”
He revealed the psychological weight of his predicament, saying: “I have a lot of friends with good hairlines, and they would jokingly take the mickey out of me. Unfortunately, people don’t realise the emotional toll this takes.”
In his pursuit of a solution, Bradley tried out different treatments, including minoxidil and micro-needling. He spent between £600 and £900 over a six-month period, carefully applying it in the hope of stopping hair loss, but eventually gave up.
However, things changed for Bradley in 2023 when a mate returned from Turkey after having a hair transplant.
He explained: “I’d always wanted a transplant, but it was too expensive in the UK, and I’d obviously heard horror stories about Turkey, which made me hesitant.
“But after seeing my friend’s results, I said to myself, ‘You know what? I’m going to take the plunge. I’m going to do this,’ because I can’t keep hating the way I look.”
Bradley chose Longevita Hair Transplant, a UK-registered firm with clinics in London and Istanbul. He had a procedure involving the transplantation of 3,000 grafts using the FUE method, which involves removing individual hair grafts and placing them.
The surgery took eight hours, and whilst Bradley felt nervous, he said that the only pain was when the anaesthetic was given.
“The anaesthesia part does hurt a little, but it’s ten minutes of pain for a lifetime of having a full hairline. I’d take that over anything,” he admitted.
He went into detail about his post-procedure care, explaining: “People think you just fly out, get it done, and hope for the best, but that’s not the case. There were constant check-ups, even six months after. Any issue I had, I could go to their team, and they’d do a full screening. It’s honestly the best decision I’ve ever made and the best money I’ve ever spent.”
Now, two-and-a-half years later, Bradley is practically unrecognisable from his previous self.
He said: “When I show people photos from before the transplant, they’re shocked. They go, ‘Oh my God, is that really you?’ They say I looked about 20 years older back then!”
Bradley has become a champion for hair transplants following his remarkable transformation, encouraging others who are unhappy with their reflection and contemplating a change to take the plunge.
He revealed: “I don’t stress about my hair anymore when I’m going out. I don’t even use half as many gels or hair products.
“People don’t realise what hair loss does to you. They think you’re being vain, and I get that it may seem vain, but as a man, you don’t have much to hold on to. All we really have is our hair.”
