When his chair turned around and he saw himself in the mirror, his eyes grew wide. He couldn't believe it. Who he saw in the mirror was not who he thought himself to be.
He was overwhelmed, his transformation was a lot to take in. He looked completely different, and he wondered what everyone else would think. But he never thought that it would change this entire world around.
Never Saw It Coming
When he was younger, José Antonio never expected that he would live on the street as an older man. He was born and raised in Palma de Mallorca in Spain and he was a trained and skilled electrician.
But at the age of 30, José's entire life changed. A tragic work accident meant that he could no longer continue with his work. His financial situation worsened and he was depressed. After that, everything turned dark for him.
Process Of Becoming Homeless
He didn't become homeless overnight. Speaking about his experience, he said, “It’s a long process. A depression starts. In a depressed state, your mood is not the most regular. And then you go out onto the streets.”
He could no longer pay his bills and he became homeless. He thought it would be temporary. To get by, he would park cars at the town square. He thought that if he worked hard enough, he would eventually be able to find a place to live. But he never managed to do that.
Odd Jobs
As time passed, he became used to his situation. His odd jobs gave him enough money to buy food every day. A few years passed and he became a fixture of the Plaza España where he helped people with their parking.
Business owners and workers in the area knew who he was, they had even become friends with him. They would give him the nickname, ‘Josete.’ But on one particular day, a man came by and decided to go even further.
Change Of Heart
At that point, Josete had spent 25 years living on the streets. It was all he knew at this point. But one day, he met Salva Garcia, the owner of La Salvajería, a hair salon close to Plaza España.
Salva remembers meeting Josete, he's spoken about it, saying, “When we met, I had a studio in the square where he helped park cars. I always joked with him telling him he had to cut off his mane, but he resisted.” But eventually, Josete had a change of heart.
New Haircut
When Salva saw Josete again, Josete informed him that he was ready for a haircut. Salva agreed to do it for free if Josete agreed to model for before and after photos.
Salva even arranged for a photographer. While they waited for the photographer, Josete and Salva enjoyed a cup of coffee together. Josete told him all about his past, which gave Salva an idea.
His Story
Salva listened intently as Josete told him his story of depression and homelessness. Salva explains, “It was clear that his story deserved to be told and that Josete deserved another opportunity to get ahead.”
Salva no longer wanted to take pictures, he wanted to film a short documentary instead. He got a production company involved to interview Josete and to film the process. Josete was grateful for the chance to express himself. He said, “I can’t be happy with the life that I have,” he said. But maybe he would be happy with his new look.
No Mirrors
Salva had all mirrors removed from his store. He didn't want Josete to see himself until he was completely transformed. But there was a mirror on the other side of the window. Salva asked Josete if he wanted it to be opened or closed.
He responded, “Open now, to see myself like this for the last time. Then we close them to see if, when they open again, something else opens up in my life. Like a symbol." Salva then got to work.
The Process
Salva first focused on cutting his long, shaggy mane. His hair was down to his shoulders at this point. After that, he trimmed his beard, rather than shaving it off.
Then he moved on to dying his hair, which had turned grey over the course of a few years. He wanted to make his hair brown again. Finally, he shaved his neckline and tweezed his brows. Josete was slowly turning into a whole new person.
The Change
But Salva knew that a new hairstyle wasn't enough. He got him a whole new outfit to wear. It was fashionable and youthful. He wanted to show Josete a glimpse of a whole new life.
Josete got changed into the white shirt and bright-red pants, along with dapper shoes. He had no idea what he looked like. He sat back down on the stylist's chair as Salva opened the window. Josete couldn't believe his eyes as his jaw dropped.
The Window Opens
Josete’s transformation was all caught on camera. In the video, he sits in the salon chair while one of the hairstylists opens the shutters that cover the mirror.
When Josete catches the first glimpse of himself, he is amazed and confused. His mouth slowly opens and his eyes widen. After a few seconds of disbelief, he lets out a long sigh.
A Different Josete
Josete gasped, putting his hands on his face. “This is amazing, dude,” he said under his breath. He stood up, turning in different directions to better look at his new self.
“My God! I don’t recognize myself!” Soon he couldn’t hold back the tears. “Are you excited?” Salva asked. “Honestly, yes,” he replied. He was shocked, and he knew he wouldn’t be the only one.
Unrecognizable
“I’m hallucinating. It’s really me?” Josete exclaimed, “No, no one will recognize me. As long as I don’t tell them who I am, no one will recognize me. I assure you, the whole neighborhood will not recognize me.”
And he was right. After leaving the salon, he went back to Plaza España, to his usual hangout by the side of a monument.
A Community In Disbelief
When Josete took up his usual place on the street, he was met by gasps of disbelief. The people who knew him had to look twice before accepting it was really him.
Waitresses at nearby restaurants smiled and gave him a thumbs-up, clearly approving of his new look. Others had no idea it was him.
“Very, Very Handsome”
"No! It’s Jose?” one man asked. A group of ladies passing by tell him he looks “Very, very handsome.” After his makeover, Josete’s life was forever changed.
And, although he knew things would never be the same for him again, he could never have predicted the startling turn of events that would come next.
Reintroducing Himself To The World
Josete sat at a bar table in the square and ordered a beer from a waiter he’d spoken to many times before. The waiter brought his drink without acknowledging him, seeming to think he was just a random customer.
“Don’t you recognize me?” Josete asked. After realizing who he was speaking to, the waiter said, “You don’t look like you!” But now that he had a brand new look, Salva wanted to give Josete a new life to match it.
Going Viral
The video of Josete’s transformation made its way online in March 2017, and he became an internet sensation overnight.
But by then, Josete was already living a different life to the one he’d known for so many years. After his transformation, he had managed to get off the streets and was no longer homeless. How?
Turning His Life Around
With the help of an anonymous donor, Salva was able to secure a room in a shared apartment for Josete to live in.
He also enlisted an organization to give him financial assistance and help him find a job, which was much easier now that he had a permanent address. But that wasn’t the only thing that had changed.
Getting Treatment
Josete started to seek treatment for the ailments that had developed over the years on the street. He hoped to undergo several surgeries to fix his cataracts, which had developed after years of exposure to the elements and a poor diet.
His life was truly turning around, and he was extremely grateful. He also began to invest more time in his appearance.
George Clooney Lookalike
Josete decided to let his hair dye wash out so his hair would return to his natural grey shade. Now, his striking ‘silver fox’ look made people compare him to the Hollywood actor, George Clooney.
And, just like his Hollywood doppelganger, Josete’s new look was proving to be a huge hit with the ladies. He was even offered a few modeling gigs!
New Lease On Life
Josete knows he has the La Salvajeria hair salon to thank for turning his life completely around. Without the kindness of the salon owner, Josete has no idea how things might have turned out.
“I doubt any of these changes would have happened if it wasn’t for the help of people like the hair salon owner,” he said. “I’ll be eternally grateful to them.” But, all of it almost didn’t happen.
He Had Persuaded Him
Salva Garcia revealed that he’d been trying to get Josete into his salon chair for some time before he eventually relented.
“I had been telling Josete for a while that I could do his hair and beard for him, and one day he said ‘yes,’” he explained. And how does Salva feel about how he changed a homeless man’s life with a haircut?
Happy To Help
Due to Josete’s transformation video, business at the La Salvajeria hair salon was booming. Salva was also absolutely thrilled that the makeover he’d done for Josete had led to something truly life-changing for the homeless man.
“I’m really pleased with the way things are going for him. He’s a fantastic guy. The physical transformation has definitely led to a change to many things in his life.”
Starting A Trend
It’s amazing to think that something as simple as a haircut, beard trim, and some new clothes changed Josete’s life forever.
Now, he has a newfound sense of confidence after living on the streets for 25 years, and it was that confidence that enabled him to lift himself out of his situation. Josete’s remarkable story didn’t end there.
Paying It Forward
It seems Josete’s story started something of a trend around the world. Look on the internet today, and you will find many such tales of kind salon owners giving homeless people free makeovers.
As usual with the internet, Josete’s story took on a life of its own and became an inspiration to many people. One such person was Olivier Janouze.
Olivier
Olivier’s tale bears a striking resemblance to Josete’s. He was also a homeless man who received a free haircut that transformed him into an internet sensation.
While Olivier was younger, his transformation was just as dramatic, and his before and after pics had more than a few people swooning over him too. In Olivier’s case, his haircut had an extra twist.
Even Celebrities Joined In
French barber David Kodat is considered something of a celebrity in the world of hairdressing. His work on Olivier cemented his own reputation and brought even more spotlight to the trend.
Continuing the trend, after Olivier’s cut, David has made the provision of such services to the homeless a part of his business now. He even showcases the transformations on his Tik Tok account.
Will It Last?
Given the wonderful effect that this trend has had on the participants, this is one trend that will hopefully stick around. When most people think of helping a homeless person, sparing some food or money is what usually comes to mind.
The actions of people like Salva and David prove that sometimes all a person really needs to pick themselves up from a bad situation is to be given back some dignity.
One Haircut At A Time
So what happened to Josete himself? After taking advantage of his new lease on life, Josete now lives in a shared tenement building. After decades of homelessness, he now has a roof over his head.
Thanks to a kind barber and others like him, Josete’s story is a testament to how kindness can change a life. It seems real change can occur, even if it takes one haircut at a time.