It is really unfortunate that most of us prejudge the worth of someone by their outward appearance alone. We assume things about someone without even having a moment of interaction with them. A homeless man named Jose Antonio is pretty familiar with the feeling of being judged by people who really didn’t know who he was on the inside. Luckily for Jose, he was offered the chance for a free makeover and what unfolded may bring tears to your eyes. Grab your tissue paper and let’s get started. ​

1. He Struggled with Mental Illness

The Spanish native Jose Antonia has lived on the streets in Palma for the most part of his adult life. Even though he had been trained in a technical field, it wasn’t that he wasn’t trying his best to live a better life.

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What made his life so difficult was his continuous struggle with mental illness that prevented him from living a normal life – it was because of the mental illness that he often found himself living on the streets.

2. Well-known in the community

Local families knew who Jose was, but most of them would carry on with their lives without giving him a second thought. But not everyone ignored his presence. There was a group of locals who took a liking for Jose and even gave him the affectionate nickname “Josete.”

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People who really cared about him for years began to devise a plan to get him back on his feet. He had no idea of their thoughtful plan. It is because they didn’t want to get his hopes up before knowing that the plan was a sure thing.

3. He Never Really Gave Up

Jose was 30 years old when he lost his job and found himself living on the streets. That didn’t stop him from trying his best to earn money. Such was his will to live a better life that he wasn’t hesitant to work small jobs for meager wages.

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He even worked as a parking attendant in Mallorca for some time. However, he wasn’t earning enough to get a roof over his head again. It seemed like going nowhere until he met Salva Garcia, a Palma local who would be instrumental in changing his life.

4. He Couldn’t Say No

Being a homeless man for almost 25 years, Jose was used to living on the streets. At 55 years of age, he looked way much older than his appearance. His long beard and hair added years to his look.

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Jose was approached by Salvia, the owner of a salon called ‘La Salvajeria.’ She offered him an opportunity to get a complete makeover without paying a single penny.

5. He Needed a Complete New Look

It didn’t take long for Salvia to realize that Jose required a completely new look if he ever was going to find success in a professional career again. She wanted others to take him seriously and she knew a mere haircut and shave wouldn’t be enough.

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As Salvia made it clear that he won’t be paying for the makeover, he couldn’t say no to her. He was ready to change and embrace a new life.

6. Taking The First Step

Jose felt extremely uncomfortable upon entering Salvia’s salon. To him, it felt like he didn’t belong in such a nice place since he wasn’t paying anything.

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As he remained on the streets for 25 years and he had every right to feel that way. However, it didn’t change his mind as he remained firm with his decision to give life another opportunity to change.

7. Taking Down the Mirrors of the Salon

Jose stared at himself for some time before the start of the complete makeover process. He contemplated and he knew he wouldn’t be able to recognize himself. Salvia took all the mirrors down so that he could only see the final results.

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Jose then asked, “Leave the doors over the mirror open for the moment so I can see myself for the last time like this, then close them to see if when they open again, it’s as if something else really opened up in my life, like a symbol.”

8. Starting to Look and Feel Good

Jose’s hair was long and grey when he first entered the salon. His unkempt beard looked uncomfortable and unprofessional.

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As he didn’t care about his appearance in the last 25 years, he was ready for a change and Salvia was there to help him achieve it.

9. Nervous Jose

Although Jose mustered up all his courage to receive a huge makeover, he started to express how nervous he was about the entire process. He was scared of how everything would turn out. He was scared of the unknown.

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Salvia assured him and made him realize that the makeover could turn his life upside down. He wanted to stand on his feet again and the makeover was the redefining moment of his life.

10. Removing a Lot of Hair

Salvia was prepared for the moment and that’s why she gathered her best beard and hair stylists to give Jose the makeover he deserved. The entire team knew that it was a special styling task in which a lot had to be done.

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As some of the Salvia’s team members put his hair in a bun, the others took care of other parts of his face. Although it was a lot of work, it soon started to look like it was heading in the right direction. His transformation from a man on the streets to a gentleman had truly begun.

11. Giving His Hair A Natural Color

Living on the streets and not taking care of the appearance made Jose’s hair so gray that he was looking way older than he actually was.

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Salvia and her team decided to give back his hair a natural color which Jose told them was brown. They knew that coloring his hair would not only make him look more personal but also make him appear younger. Although the dying process was time-consuming, everyone was okay with it as they knew it would be worth it.

12. Coming Onto the Beard

It wasn’t a big surprise for Salvia and her beard style specialists that Jose’s beard was long, grey, and unkempt to a point that it required some serious work.

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His beard was cleaned at first and then colored to enhance his younger look. The beard was then shaped into a sleek and clean look. It was exciting for everyone as his new look was coming closer to becoming a reality.

13. Feeling Lighter

As Jose’s hair was being cut down, he could feel the chunks of his hair falling to the ground. It certainly made his head feel lighter. He was also feeling lighter mentally because the weight of being homeless was slowly being lifted off his shoulder (literally and figuratively).

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It is heartbreaking that Jose wasn’t used to a lot of people interacting with him. It was rare for him to receive so much affection. As his nerves started to go away, he began to enjoy every second of the process.