A Life Changing Moment: Homeless Man Gets Stunning Makeover

Most people are accustomed to having a regular haircut, and even getting it treated every once in a while. For some, especially those that live on the outskirts of society, this can be the ultimate elusive luxury. When hard times hit, sometimes they hit self care practices the hardest, which can eventually result in all kinds of mental health consequences. For one homeless man from Spain, a simple act of kindness from someone else would turn into a life changing moment for him. Jose Antonio couldn’t have imagined that a makeover could give his confidence levels such a boost, as well as setting him up for a situation where he could finally start to turn his luck back around. But how did he manage to do so? His story is inspirational, and worth sharing with others after you’ve read it.

A Life Changing Moment

Personal Obstacles

Jose had long had to overcome personal struggles, having lived as a homeless person in Palma in Spain for the greater share of two and a half decades. Mental health challenges like depression led to him being unable to hold down any form of steady work, and the stress of not having somewhere to lay his head has always compounded his challenges. At times, it felt like he had nowhere to turn, and nobody who could help him get back on his feet.

Personal Obstacles

Pre-Homelessness

Before Jose lived on the streets he worked as an electrician, earning a steady income and working long hours to try and make a living for himself. He could never have anticipated that depression would become a problem in his life, considering he used to be a very cheerful person. Once the mental illness took hold of him, he was unable to get out of bed, and as a result, couldn’t continue to work as he had for years before.

Pre Homelessness

The Popular Vagabond

Overall the years of living on the streets, many Palma residents have interacted with Jose. Some have gone so far as to offer him food and a bit of spare change, to help him get through the day. He even achieved something resembling “celebrity” status in the area, with tourists and locals affectionately calling him “Josete” whenever they crossed paths with him. Few people spent enough time with him to ask about his troubles with mental health, however.

The Popular Vagabond

Part Time Work

Astonishingly, Jose has been homeless for most of his life. People are surprised to find this out, and wonder how it can be possible that someone might be down on their luck for such a long time. Over the years, he has worked a lot of odd jobs just to get by. Even though some people hired him to help out at their homes, he barely made enough to be able to put two meals into his belly every single day.

Part Time Work

A Run Down Man

Even though he was in his early 60’s at the time of his transformation, Jose appeared to be far older because of the many years spent on the streets. Homelessness can harden the face of any person. One morning, he was approached by Salva Garcia, a young resident in the town. Looking at Jose and studying the lines on his face, Salva had a suggestion that might be able to change his life for the better.

A Run Down Man

The Suggestion

Salva owned a hair salon in the area, and his idea was to give Jose a full body makeover. The idea was that it might help boost his confidence, and make him more approachable on the street. This could lead to him getting a job as well, at some point. The best news of all was that Salva agreed to do so free of charge. This meant that Jose could relax and enjoy the surprising gift that had come his way that day.

The Suggestion

Over The Moon

Jose knew that this was an opportunity that would be too good to pass up. He realized that it might change everybody’s perception of him, and help him to get enough strength to get out of his situation. He dreamed about the possibility of going for a job interview and being taken more seriously as a result of his appearance. He was ecstatic at the prospect of being given another opportunity to gain back some form of control over his life.

Over The Moon

Arriving at the Salon

After agreeing to the proposal, Jose arrived at the salon. He stood out like a sore thumb, but was still treated with respect, and ushered to a nearby station. He gasped when he saw his appearance in the mirror. It had been years since he had had this luxury, and he was astonished by his deep gray beard, and how many lines his face had accumulated over the years of direct sunlight. Now he knew that he needed the makeover more than ever before.

Arriving At The Salon

The A-Team

Salva was quick to get the help of a bigger team to handle this transformation. He also hired a film crew to capture the moment, thinking that it might make for lovely social media marketing. Even though you would think that he would share it right after the transformation, it ended up being a larger project, which was only released to the public a year and a half after Jose first walked into that beauty salon in Palma.

The A Team

Dreaming of a New Beginning

In recent years, Jose had completely foregone any sense of self care. He was too preoccupied with getting his next meal every day, or protecting his shelter. The idea of making a completely fresh start and a clean break excited him beyond words. Salva said he was very chatty during the makeover, and seemed as excited as a young child getting his first haircut. There was a buzz in the salon, as everyone watched on to see how it would turn out.

Dreaming Of A New Beginning

One Final Look

Before they started to work their magic, Jose had one request for the team of stylists. He wanted to take one long, hard look at his appearance first. This was to help him let go of who he was, and to make room for a brand new chapter. He didn’t want to see the transformation right until it was complete, and as you can imagine, it was an incredible moment that nobody in the room will ever forget.

One Final Look

The Homeless Army Vet

Jose wasn’t the first homeless person to be given a fresh start thanks to a free makeover. Let’s take a look at a few others before finally revealing his brand new look. Donald Gould, an ex-army man in his midlife, had spent seven years on the streets when he was approached by someone for a transformation. Even though he was quiet and reserved, he slowly warmed to the idea and opened up to the team in a big way as he shed his locks.

The Homeless Army Vet

Struggles Along The Way

Getting back from the army and acclimatizing to “normal” life is hard enough for anyone. Donald had to deal with this, as well as the death of his beloved wife. Because he couldn’t cope, he would eventually lose custody of his only child. The result was a deep and dark depression, followed by an addiction to prescription drugs. In no time at all, he found himself unable to hold down a steady job, and forced to live on the streets.

Struggles Along The Way

The Turning Point

Little to the knowledge of Sarasota, Florida locals who walked past him, Donald was actually a classically trained pianist. After seeing a row of pianos in the area, he sat down and played one of them. This generated a lot of attention, and a passerby even went as far as to tip him for his beautiful melodies. Donald could not believe what he was seeing, and how much he missed playing the piano after so many years.

The Turning Point

A Viral Sensation

As is the case with many great moments these days, somebody was there to capture it with their phones. The clip ended up going viral on YouTube, which attracted the attention of news stations from everyone on the globe. The result was that he was offered a job at a local Piano bar. At the same time, one generous stranger set up a crowdfunding page for Donald. It was Inside Edition that would eventually offer to give him a makeover to help him out even more.

A Viral Sensation

The Dramatic Change

After getting the chance to buy brand new clothes, Donald was clean shaven and given an A-list haircut. This gave him a brand new lease on life, which he could use to impress customers at the Piano bar. Over and above this, he managed to be reunited with his son, after he had seen the viral clip on YouTube. It had been almost two decades since they had seen each other, giving him the hope to turn his life back around, and to get sober.

The Dramatic Change

Homeless in New York

Bobby is another homeless person who had a change of luck when he met a group of kind police officers in New York. As it turns out, they were not coming into contact with him to make an arrest. Out of a pure act of kindness, they engaged with him to hear what the story of how he became homeless was. From there, his situation started taking a turn for the better and a series of significant events began to unfold.

Homeless In New York

A Simple Request

The homeless man only had one simple request after he shared his story. Bobby wanted to take a hot shower, and get a haircut. The officers were quick to oblige his request, knowing that hard times had befallen the man and reminding themselves that we take some of the most simple pleasures for granted every single day. The officers also did a call for clothes donations, and bought him a razor to shave as well.

A Simple Request

Bobby’s New Look

The officers didn’t just step back and let someone else handle the makeover. They decided to take their own initiative, in order to make sure that he was well looked after. One of the team members thought to film the incident, which made quite the splash on their social media profiles. He had a massive grin on his face after it was completed, and he looked fresh as a fiddle once again. This was the clean break Bobby had been dreaming of for years.

Bobbys New Look

A Community Service

New York certainly doesn’t have a shortage of upscale hair stylists. Mark Bustos runs a salon in one of the wealthier parts of the city, charging up to $800 for some of his professional hair care services. In his spare time, he gives back by going around the city and offering haircuts and shaves to homeless men and women who have been dealt a difficult card in life. What results from this is simply astonishing.

A Community Service

Red’s Transformation

One of Mark’s customers was a homeless war vet that was referred to as “Red” by his friends. In spite of having difficulty hearing, Red is known for having long conversations with anybody who will talk to him on the street. Mark knew that this was a special customer, who he wanted to make look as respectable as possible, so more people would be encouraged to approach him on the street for a good old fashioned chinwag.

Reds Transformation

The Job That Never Came

As it turns out, Red moved to the Big Apple for a job that didn’t end up panning out. Out of money and out of options, he ended up on the street. Red only had one request for Mark, namely that he wanted his head shaved, because he didn’t know when he was going to get this opportunity again. The result was lovely, and gave him a sense of dignity and pride as soon as he left the stylist’s chair.

The Job That Never Came

The Breathtaking Transformation

In this next example, Mark did an incredible job to bring out the handsome features of his homeless customer who was on the street begging for money. After seeing him sitting on the corner of a popular street in Manhattan, Mark was struck by how beautiful his eyes were. Onlookers couldn’t believe what they were seeing, especially once the haircut was complete. Looking at the pictures side-by-side, it’s impossible to even believe that these two are the same men.

The Breathtaking Transformation

Jamar’s Quiet Nature

Although most of his street customers love talking and telling their stories, Mark didn’t know what to expect after he met Jamar. The middle aged man was quiet and soft spoken, hardly uttering a word during the haircut. As the pictures show, his transformation left everyone around him speechless, after seeing what beautiful features he has. Mark even went so far as to ask around for a job for Jamar, who was positively beaming after the haircut.

Jamars Quiet Nature

Jim’s Hard Life

Jim Wolf has never had it easy. An alcohol addiction led him to the streets, which changed the course of his life forever. A local ministry crossed paths with Jim on Veterans Day one year, and decided to help make him over in order to give him a confidence and self-esteem boost. In a short video shared online, it’s possible to see what an immense difference just being approached by kindhearted people made to his overall state of wellbeing.

Jims Hard Life

For a Good Cause

The video was shot with the intention of raising awareness for homeless people in the area. The idea was also brought about to try and raise additional donations, so the ministry could help others who were facing similar challenges to Jim. His three minute video was shared far and wide, achieving both goals and showing how far a simple act of kindness could take anybody, no matter where in the world they might be based.

For A Good Cause

Not Always Enough

After going viral online, everyone thought that Jim would be able to start turning his life around. People showed their support for him on the street and online. Sometimes, life has other plans for us. A short while after the makeover, he was arrested for trespassing. Addiction can have a tight grip on the lives of anyone, and as his case shows, a physical transformation is not always enough. Mental health support is very important, too.

Not Always Enough

The London Stylist

Hairstylists love giving haircuts to the homeless as an act of kindness all over the world. Joshua Coombes lives in London, and has pledged to not only cut people’s hair, but also give them a chance to tell their stories. He loves being able to make others laugh, as part of his life motto involving doing things for others without expecting anything else in return. If more people lived like this, the world would be an entirely different place.

The London Stylist

PTSD Sufferer

When Joshua met Chris, a PTSD sufferer from the army, he knew he had to make his day extra special. On top of suffering from the debilitating mental illness, Chris was also grieving the loss of a friend from a couple of weeks prior. The homeless man was able to step outside of his situation and offer some advice to others, encouraging people to spread love wherever they went, as it truly has the power to change the world.

PTSD Sufferer

The Romanian Immigrant

Another homeless man that Joshua encountered was Florin, a Romanian immigrant living in Paris. After having a stroke, he was discharged for not having any of his documents with him. The result was that he had to end up sleeping on a bench in the park. Armed with a brand new haircut, Florin was ready to take on the world again, even going so far as to invite Joshua to visit him in Romania, because he had plans of heading back there as soon as possible.

The Romanian Immigrant

Matthew’s Story

Back in 2017, Joshua met Matthew in a park in Central London. A year on, the pair ran into each other again, and Joshua offered to give him another cut. Matthew was all too excited to be able to share his story again, and to catch up with Joshua after all this time. Sometimes, people just need someone who can sit and listen to their stories. The world might be complicated, but people are always looking for new ways to connect with each other.

Matthews Story

Cedric’s Last Haircut

Joshua also met Cedric, a friendly homeless man who couldn’t stop speaking and enjoyed hearing the punk music on Joshua’s phone. A year on, the popular stylist received word that Cedric had unfortunately passed away on the streets. Joshua was upset by the news, albeit consoled because he hoped that the haircut he gave him was a happy memory for the kind and talkative man. It’s safe to say the two made an impression on each other’s hearts.

Cedrics Last Haircut

An Update on Jose

Now that we’ve seen all the great stories of homeless people receiving makeovers, it’s time to return to Jose’s story again. Salva was doing everything he could to make Jose’s transformation magical, in spite of realizing that the homeless man was growing increasingly anxious. There was a lot riding on this makeover, and deep down, Jose was hoping to be able to land a good job afterwards to finally be able to start looking after himself again.

An Update On Jose

Dying Jose’s Hair

Salva’s team did an amazing job of getting Jose’s hair back in good shape. It took a couple of hours, but they got there in the end. It was clear that an entirely new person was going to emerge from this jaw dropping transformation. In order for it to be a total makeover, the team discussed whether they needed to get rid of Jose’s beard, once and for all. They wondered whether he would be happy to part ways with it after all these years.

Dying Joses Hair

Trimming The Beard

After talking it through with Jose, the team agreed that shaving the entire beard off might not work in his favor, especially because of his particular bone structure. They agreed to trim and shape it instead, to give him an updated, more modern look. A little bit of dye would also help to bring together the entire look in a way that would really get people talking. At this point, the finish line was in full view of everyone involved with the special project.

Trimming The Beard

Lightening The Load

After so many years of having a lot of hair on his head and chin, Jose could immediately feel the lightened load as the locks started to be cut and finished off. He described the feeling as one of relief, especially as it had been decades since his last haircut or shave of any kind. When it comes to extreme poverty, the smallest of gestures can have an incredible effect on the well-being of a person going through a bit of a hard time.

Lightening The Load

Additional Tweaks To Enhance His Look

In a matter of moments, his old look would be a thing of the past, making room for a brand new era of his life to be ushered in. The styling team decided that they wanted to work on his eyebrows as well, and give him a full-scale makeover akin to those that some of the wealthier people in the city are able to afford more regularly. He was being treated like royalty for once in his life.

Additional Tweaks To Enhance His Look

Improving Beard Moisture

People who have never had a beard won’t understand the challenges of having to make sure that it stays replenished and moisturised, similar to how you would go about taking care of a full head of hair. Especially in the case of someone like Jose, who had grown a long beard over the course of 25 years, he was in dire need of some products to help improve the quality of his roots and split ends. After that, a new outfit was next on the agenda.

Improving Beard Moisture

Looking Dapper

Once the transformation was reaching the latter stages, all that was left to do was to give him a brand new outfit to polish and complete the look once and for all. He was asked to go change in the dressing room, where he caught a glimpse of his own reflection. He couldn’t believe how many people were staring at him, after he had been invisible on the streets for so many years. He could sense that this was the beginning of good things for him.

Looking Dapper

The Incredible Transformation

When Jose first looked at a mirror in the dressing room, he was astounded by what he saw. Instantly, his self-esteem and self-confidence levels soared to brand new heights. He couldn’t recognize the person that stood in front of him. In the moment, he started to get a little emotional about the process, and the promise it may hold for his future and how he could turn his life around. He looked decades younger, and couldn’t wait to show his friends his new appearance.

The Incredible Transformation

At a Loss For Words

When he returned, dressed in a brand new outfit, Jose was at a loss for words when he stood in front of a full-body mirror. He gasped at what he saw, and couldn’t hold back the emotions he was feeling. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, and the team that had coordinated the makeover couldn’t believe what a dramatic and incredible transformation it had been. All that was left to do now was for him to take a deep breath, and take it all in.

At A Loss For Words

Nobody Will Recognise Me

When he was finally able to speak, Jose mentioned that he looked so different, that he wondered whether he was going to need to reintroduce himself to people. It was a life-changing moment, and a stunning makeover that Salva and the rest of the team will never forget. Needless to say, Jose won’t ever forget this simple act of kindness, which gave him hope for a brighter future and the confidence to keep going.

Nobody Will Recognise Me

A Change in Demeanor

It’s one thing to change your outward appearance with shiny new clothing. It’s an entirely different thing for a situation to change the posture and general demeanour of the person. This is exactly what happened to Jose, who was carrying himself in an entirely new way from that day. His outlook on the world had changed in a few short hours, and he was able to dream about his future again in a way that had long been forgotten over the years on the street.

A Change In Demeanor