While many celebrities and social media influencers boast expensive hair transplants, 43-year-old soccer star Landon Donovan showed off his renewed change from bald to hair.
The American soccer player, who received the Best Young Player Award at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, shared a vulnerable video on Instagram with his fans on September 29, titled “It’s time to fix this bald head once and for all.” In the video, he said he has struggled with a receding hairline and hair loss since he was 18 years old.
According to Donovan, he had tried “everything”, including hair transplant treatments on the top and back of his head, but “nothing has worked”. Donovan said he now had three options: go bald (“he doesn’t want to do that”), leave his hair in its current state (“not an option for now”), or install a hairpiece, the most attractive option for him of the three. He then asked his fans to help him choose the style for the third option.
In October
On October 3, the soccer star shared an update on Instagram. The video was captioned, “After years of trying different methods, I’ve finally tried a wig.”
In a clip filmed before his hair appointment, Donovan was honest about his feelings, saying he was “excited” and “nervous.” The video then shows his head being shaved to zero and then the wig being placed off-camera.
The results are striking, and comments praised the new hairstyle. TV presenter Adam Richman commented: “Bravo and congratulations for the honesty and vulnerability – you look great, mate.” Bryan Jordan, his former LA Galaxy teammate, wrote: “Young Lando is back!” This observation is especially true when comparing a photo of Donovan from 2002, at the start of his career, with his new fresh look.
On October 7, less than a week after the transformation video, Donovan shared another “hair update” on Instagram, in which he thanked his followers. According to the American Hair Loss Association, two-thirds of men in the United States will experience some visible hair loss before the age of 35. Even so, Donovan noted his surprise at the avalanche of empathetic messages. “I had no idea how many people were dealing with this, struggling with it,” he said. “I’ve received thousands of messages from you.”
Donovan was pleased with the results, saying that although he is still “getting used to” them, so far he is “really enjoying them.”
On October 10, just three days after revealing his change of hairstyle, Donovan made a heartfelt post highlighting the importance of World Mental Health Day, given his own struggle with depression. He began the post with a brief acknowledgment of his recent change in appearance. “Hi guys, Landon Donovan here, I’m at the Austin FC store with my new hairstyle,” he said with a slight laugh.
Landon Donovan also posted a clip of his interview on the US Soccer Podcast, talking about his upcoming book and reflecting on his decades-long career in the sport.
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