Ben Stokes has revealed the personal struggle he faced when he realized he was losing his hair and how it affected his self-confidence.
The England captain is one of his country’s greatest cricketers of all time, with the all-rounder putting in countless world-class match-winning performances over the years, while also being a two-time world white-ball champion.
Stokes has been responsible for transforming the Test team’s fortunes from one win in 17 matches before his appointment last year, to 13 in 18 under him, and led his side superbly during the summer’s enthralling Ashes series.
However, Stokes opened up about the mental struggles and fears he faced when he started suffering from hair loss, before the England captain underwent a hair transplant.
“I saw the (TV) footage of myself, and the angle was a bird’s eye view, straight up,” he said The Telegraph.
Ben Stokes has revealed the personal struggle he faced when he realized he was starting to lose his hair
Stokes explained how this affected his self-confidence before he underwent a hair transplant
‘I thought, ‘God, this is getting worse.’ Men and hair, it’s one thing. Previously, the proceedings were kept quiet. It was almost one of those things you didn’t want people to know you had done.
‘There’s so much more to it than just losing your hair. When you start to get thinner, you notice it and constantly try to do something to make it not look so bad. As people get older, they want to have a nice head of hair.”
Stokes also explained that he wanted to destigmatize transplants, as hair loss is an issue that affects thousands of men.
He added: “So whatever they can do to make them feel better about themselves, why not? I know how I felt because of all the compliments I received. It gives you so much confidence. The stigma and secrecy are gone.
‘I’m lucky that I’m quite tall, so I was above most people. But it got to the point where it became too much.
“So I went in, got it done, and once I started seeing the results, it gave me so much more confidence knowing that I didn’t have to worry about it as much as before.”
Meanwhile, Stokes revealed how some of his England team-mates have also undergone similar transplants following discussions in the dressing room, while others are considering it.
That dressing room has been strengthened in recent weeks by the presence of England legend Andrew Flintoff, who returned to the national team as a mentor for the One Day series against New Zealand after suffering horrific facial injuries in a high-speed crash during the filming of Top Gear. in 2022.
And Stokes explained what a pleasure it was to have Flintoff in the team and how much the poster boy for the 2005 Ashes was enjoying being involved with the sport again after launching a highly successful broadcasting career following his retirement.
“After his cricket career, Freddie’s personality was perfect for TV,” Stokes said. ‘But then you see him make a comeback and you can imagine him being involved full-time.
‘He loved every minute of it. He said he was impressed by what he saw. Every day he spent with us he became more confident.”
Stokes was involved again in that series after reversing his ODI retirement and it was released after a spell following an engrossing but tiring Ashes for the 32-year-old, with England’s hopes of an unlikely comeback thwarted by two days of rain in the fourth test. at Old Trafford.
He continued: “I was devastated. It had been quite exhausting, both physically and emotionally.
‘For two nights (in Manchester) I woke up several times to check if it had stopped raining.
‘I did everything on the last day to make the rain go away, but it didn’t work. I didn’t look out the window for two hours and then prayed that when I did look out, it would be sunny again. But that wasn’t the case.’
Stokes is determined to destigmatize hair transplants as hair loss is a common problem
Stokes also explained what a boost it was to have Freddie Flintoff back in the team
Stokes transformed England’s Test fortunes, guiding them to a 2-2 draw in the Ashes
Despite the 2-2 draw that saw Australia retain the Ashes, Stokes is as optimistic about the future as ever.
He added: ‘I have never been one to map out how many runs or wickets I want. Now that I’m 32, I’m very realistic that it will end someday.
“But I have my eyes set on something I want to be a part of in the next three to four years.
‘I don’t see myself being involved in any way, even though I’ve stopped playing. It’s in my blood to be there.’