Having long, thick hair has been an effective intimidation tactic ever since war was invented. Be it the vikings or the mongols, hairy men have unapologetically raided the earth for millenia, leaving a strain of fire and destruction wherever they went.
In our modern, relatively peaceful epoch, this applies to sports in a less extreme way (who has encountered brit hooligans knows that sports are nothing but modern warfare in disguise). No doubt, when it comes to facing a whole team of leg-chopping rivals, any extra intimidation is most welcomed. And nothing screams power and confidence as much as a thick head of hair.
Famous Sportsmen with a Hair Transplant
Successful sportsmen do not let go of their hair without putting up a fight. With millions of fans watching their every move on TV, and tens of thousands filling up the stadiums, a balding head might allow them to be 98% focused, or 99% focused. But not 100%. To win at such a high level of competition, they must put their whole head (or scalp) in the game, and that is precisely what these sports megastars chose to do:
- Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney deserves the number 1 spot on our list as a pioneer of hair transplantation. The former Manchester striker was the first sports megastar to undergo a hair transplant and publicly admit it. On July 4, 2011, just a few weeks after losing the Champions League final to FC Barcelona (ouch!), he famously tweeted:
“Just to confirm to all my followers I have had a hair transplant. I was going bald at 25, why not? I’m delighted with the result.”
To be sure, it would have been ludicrous of Rooney to deny the hair procedure, but other sportsmen actually do, down our list.
- Lebron James
Unlike Rooney, Lebron James has not admitted undergoing hair transplant surgery. This has not kept fans from raising their eyebrows at his stunning before and after photos. Towering at 6’8, James arguably did not require a hair transplantation to look more intimidating. Surrounded by giants even more colossal than him, however, getting rid of his baldness did not do him any harm either.
- Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton has not only denied getting a hair transplant, he has even explained his splendid hair recovery by the use of special “shampoos and lotions”! One thing we do know for sure: if Hamilton had discovered the long-searched-for hair-growth elixir, he would be now earning more money by selling it than by being the best F-1 driver in history.
- Rafael Nadal
The recently-crowned GOAT of tennis Rafael Nadal is another sports megastars who has undergone hair transplantation surgery. Closely tied with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in his bid to win the biggest number of Grand Slam titles, the OCDd Spaniard would not let hair loss get in his way. He will keep on arranging his hair before serving until further notice.
- Caleb Timu
The famous Samoan rugby player Caleb Timu publicly admitted undergoing hair transplant surgery. To the point that we even know the clinic he went to for his operation. Timu got his hair transplant in Turkey with MCAN Health,before returning to the antipodes of the Earth as a new man, ready to rumble. From Australia to Turkey, that’s quite a trip for a hair transplant!
- David Beckham
Sir David Beckham is not only a football legend, but also a fashion icon. No surprise if he decided to cover up his thinning hair after disturbing pictures of him got leaked looking dangerously bald in Miami. As you might have guessed, Beckham has not admitted undergoing hair transplantation. Before and after images don’t lie, however.
And the list goes on…
Other galactic hair transplant names include Tiger Woods, David Silva, Andros Townsend and football managers Diego ‘Cholo’ Simeone and Antonio Conte. This being said, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson looks pretty tough with his shaven look. But hey, the transplant did help Rooney.
