BEN STOKES has opened up about how his hair transplant has given him a new-found confidence.
England all-rounder Stokes, 32, has returned to his country's ODI side ahead of the 2023 World Cup – which gets underway next month.
It comes after leading England to glory in 2019 with an unbeaten 84 in the final against New Zealand.
Shortly before that triumph, Stokes underwent a hair transplant in 2018.
And he has now discussed how the procedure improved his outlook when the hair loss was "getting too much".
Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: "I saw the footage of myself, and the angle would be a bird’s-eye view, straight on top. I thought, ‘God, this is getting worse and worse.
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"I’m lucky in that I’m quite tall, so I was standing above most people. But it just got to the point where it was getting too much.
"So I went in, got it done, and as soon as 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 I did beforehand."
Stokes also encouraged others to follow in his footsteps by insisting there is no longer a "stigma" around the procedure.
He added: "Men and hair, it’s a thing. The procedures used to be kept quiet. It was almost one of those things where you didn’t want people to know you had had it done.
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"As people get older, they want to have a good head of hair. I know how I felt, from all the compliments I received. It gives you so much confidence.
"The stigma and the secretiveness have gone."
Stokes also released a picture of himself after the procedure, captioned: "In support of mental health, I want to share how a hair transplant with Wimpole Clinic boosted my confidence.
"The results were astounding; I highly recommend Wimpole Clinic for anyone considering this procedure."
England Test captain Stokes hit a a record 182 against New Zealand in a warm-up ODI earlier this month.
He will be one of England's key players in the tournament – which gets underway in India on October 5 when Stokes and Co come up against New Zealand.
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