Hair loss and receding hairlines can be hard to accept, but people were shocked when it appeared this man took drastic measures to get his fringe back.
It's a natural part of the ageing process for many, but receding hairlines can also be hereditary. For some, it starts quite young - and that can be really hard to deal with.
There are many things you can do to help, from wearing a wig to getting a regrowth treatment - but Gianluca, 26, from Italy, revealed he wanted a more permanent solution to his problem. Saddened by his thinned-out hairline, it appeared man decided the perfect solution would be to get a fringe tattooed on. The final look had people in stitches - with many questioning whether it was real.
Fed up of his thinning hairline, Gianluca decided to visit his local parlour and made the unusual request last year - much to the amusement of tattoo artist Maria Gina Altobelli. The 30-year-old, from Italy, owns and works at Gipsy.g Tattoo & Piercing in Fondi, and she recorded the process of 'tattooing' Gianluca's head with the fringe design.
In the video, the tattoo artist can be seen using a stencil to add the black fringe onto Gianluca's forehead. After inking the design, he then looks himself in the mirror, and cries – it's not clear whether it's from happiness or not. Maria later revealed she was shocked at Gianluca's unusual request – but ended up being impressed by her own work, which allegedly took an hour to complete.
At the time, Maria said: "Obviously, I was sceptical when he asked me for that tattoo, but in the end, I'm very happy with the work. It took us an hour to do it because I've been tattooing for six years now, so I'm very fast."
The video quickly went viral on TikTok, with many social media viewers left in hysterics by the unusual solution to the problem - and many didn't believe it was real. One person commented: "I hope this is a joke!"
"I didn't trust the process and I was right," added another. A third joked: "He's crying because he knew he had made a horrible mistake."
"The instant regret when he looked in the mirror," commented another, while some else remarked: "He's going home to google laser tattoo removals." Meanwhile, the tattoo artist said: "I didn't expect all this vitality of the video."
And it would appear that the sceptics were correct - and that Gianluca's tattoo wasn't actually permanent. In the update, Maria shared: "A few days ago I posted this video. Given the large number of views I want to show you how his bangs healed."
She then brought Gianluca into the frame, who had fake hair stuck to his forehead, giving the appearance of a fringe. He said: Wow, it healed so well that it actually looks real." Many were thankful that the tattooed-on fringe wasn't real, with one person writing: "Oh thank god" while another said: "Ahaha you got us."
A version of this story was first published on April 27, 2023
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