From Bald to Bold: Inside 'Barstool Sports' Istanbul Hair Transplant Trip That Changed Hairlines—and Lives

In the age of streaming, influencer culture, and celebrity transparency, nothing is off-limits anymore—including hair loss.

What was once a taboo topic among men is now the subject of viral TikTok videos, Instagram posts, and, most notably recently, a full-blown Barstool Sports trip aptly dubbed “Baldstool.”

Known for its irreverent take on sports, pop culture, and lifestyle, Barstool Sports reaches tens of millions millions of fans across its platforms each month, making it one of the most influential media companies for men.

Partnering up with Istanbul-based clinic Estenove, Barstool sent a group of staffers—and some lucky fans—on an all-inclusive trip to Turkey to undergo hair transplants and to shine a spotlight on the rapid normalization of cosmetic hair restoration procedures for men.

The idea for Baldstool began innocuously enough. Barstool staffer Whitesox Dave, lamenting his receding hairline, confided in colleague Wonton Don (Donnie) during a trip abroad that he wanted to travel again—and maybe address his balding at the same time.

On a flight home from a previous trip to Istanbul, Donnie noticed that many of the men around him on the plane had bandaged heads—and it suddenly clicked: Turkey was the top destination for high-quality, affordable hair transplants.

“Then it hit me: our core fanbase is made up of balding 25-35-year-olds who would probably give a nut to join a Turkey adventure.” Donnie tells OK! “I thought, why not take five Barstool staff members and five Barstool fans, to Turkey for hair transplants?”

A call-out went online, and the response was enormous—proving Donnie’s hunch that men are ready to talk about, and invest in, their hair.

The project quickly gained support from Barstool CEO Dave Portnoy, himself no stranger to hair restoration. With his backing, the Baldstool trip became a reality in partnership with Estenove, a Turkey medical clinic renowned for marrying high-level hair transplant expertise with a luxury, all-inclusive and cost effective travel experience.

The first recruit was, naturally, Whitesox Dave. The subject of many in office jokes about his balding hairline and unflattering photos, Dave was more than ready for a transformation.

“Once Dave was onboard, other Barstool staff came out of the woodwork with their own balding insecurities,” explained Donnie.

Joining Dave were Eddie Farrer, who first noticed he was starting to lose hair back in 2016 when he moved his bed and saw the clumps behind it; Rudy Junda, whose balding crown was revealed in a humiliating overhead drone shot while on a Barstool staff trip; Nicky Smokes, re-dubbed “Mickey Smokes” due to his M-shaped receding frontal hairline; and Jack 'Kenjac' Kennedy, desperate to have a fuller head of hair for his upcoming wedding,

Estenove was already well-versed in working with male focused influencer-driven campaigns for hair transplants, having previously partnered with men’s humor and lifestyle content creators such as Logan Lisle of the 'Dad Jokes' instagram account and DIY Home Improvement Youtuber, Alex Mazhukhin of the popular @mr.build_it Youtube account.

“More than half of our patients now come from North America and Canada." explained Dr. Yücel İskender, Chief Medical Director of Estenove, exclusively to OK! "Ten years ago, patients were shy and would hide in their hotel after their hair surgery. Today, you can walk around Istanbul with your head bandaged, and no one even notices—it’s completely normal here.”

The financial appeal of Turkey is also hard to ignore: while hair transplants in the U.S. can cost upwards of $12,500, in Turkey they can start at around $2,100, making the procedure far more accessible for those willing to travel.

After Zoom consultations with Estenove’s Head Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Zafer Çetinkaya—who has over 10 years of experience and has treated more than 10,000 hair transplant patients—the Baldstool crew set off in early December 2024 for Istanbul, joined by nine Barstool fans.

For these men, the trip wasn’t just about aesthetics. It was about confidence.

“People say cosmetic stuff doesn’t matter—it only matters what’s within, but that’s not true in today’s America. You have to be sexy,” admitted Barstool's Rudy reflecting on the reality that appearance still plays a huge role in confidence and social perception, while Whitesox Dave added, “I’m just excited to take away one of the few things the internet trolls have on me.”

While Nicky Smokes summed it up perfectly by quipping “Girls love flow. Girls bring confidence. Hair plugs equal confidence.”

The Baldstool crew arrived in Istanbul buzzing with excitement—and also a hint of nerves about their upcoming procedures—soaking in the city on their first night. From the chaotic energy of the Grand Bazaar to the shimmering lights along the Bosphorus, they immersed themselves in the culture. There was just one catch: a strict pre-procedure rule they found particularly tough to follow—no alcohol.

When the big day finally arrived, the crew was escorted to the Estenove Hospital to kick off the hair transplant preparations. After consultations to assess hair loss and determine graft numbers, the doctors mapped out each new hairline. Full head shaves followed for most, except for Eddie who opted for the more discreet “no-shave” DHI transplant, leaving the recipient area untouched—an option available for those who only require a smaller amount of hair grafts.

Being a sports-focused media company, Barstool couldn’t resist turning the hair transplant into a friendly competition. They created the “Bald Eagle Award” for the man who required the most grafts and the “Wooly Mammoth Award” for the man with the least.

The biggest shocker came when Rudy, previously underestimated for his thinning crown, ended up needing 4,300 grafts, edging out Whitesox Dave—widely considered the baldest staffer—who had 3,600.

“It’s one of the most stunning upsets in the history of upsets. Maybe it’s just because I had more harvestable hair,” Rudy joked

Throughout the trip, Estenove’s VIP-level service impressed the crew.

“Typically when you go to the dentist or get a procedure in the U.S., you’re treated like cattle,” Rudy said. “Here, we had the Estenove staff waiting on us at every step for anything we could want"

What makes Turkish hair transplants so appealing goes far beyond cost though. Clinics like Estenove combine state-of-the-art technology, partnerships with institutions such as Harvard Medical School for research and development, boutique-hotel-style facilities, and meticulous grafting techniques to ensure natural results. Their bespoke packages also include transportation, lodging, and even sightseeing.

As Estenove co-founder Yiğit Özefe notes, “Compared to U.S. prices of $10,000–$20,000, our all-inclusive packages ranging from $3,000–$4,000 are hard to beat.”

Post surgery recovery brought its own set of challenges, especially for a group of sports watching, beer loving men.

The rules were strict: no working out for a month, no alcohol or sexual activity for 14 days, no coffee for a week, and—most dauntingly for a sports-mad crew who were accustomed to hiding their bald heads—no baseball caps for an entire month.

The day after surgery, the patients returned to the Estenove Hospital to have their head bandages removed—a moment many eagerly anticipated.

“It feels like taking your shoes off after working a ten-hour shift at a restaurant,” Eddie joked, describing the euphoric post-surgery hair-washing experience.

When asked to rate the pain of the procedure from 0–10, Rudy didn’t hesitate: “Zero. The shots that numb you up are pretty painful, but you know that’s only momentary pain.”

Despite the strict restrictions, the Baldstool crew agreed that the VIP-level service, personalized attention, and around-the-clock support from Estenove made the recovery period smoother and surprisingly comfortable. For a group used to high-energy sports and social outings, it was an adjustment—but the care and hospitality made the process feel less like a challenge and more like a pampered experience.

Nicky Smokes added, “The only thing I didn’t like was the anesthesia shots. Everything else about the whole experience was great, 9 out of 10 for me.”

Fast forward nine months: the Baldstool crew reunited at Barstool Chicago HQ ready to unveil their results and reflect on how the hair transplants had changed their lives.

Paolo, 39, one of the Barstool fans who had joined the trip admitted “I definitely feel more confident going out now, going to work. I don’t reach for my hat every time I leave the house anymore,”

For many of the participants, the change was as much psychological as physical—no longer hiding behind caps or awkward angles in photos, they were walking taller, feeling confident, and engaging more freely in social situations.

Nicky Smokes, ever the cheeky storyteller, shared a candid anecdote about the impact of the hair transplant on his dating life.

“When I was bald, I wouldn’t take my hat off with a girl until we got to the bedroom with the lights off. Now? I walk her straight into the living room, hat off. She’s rubbing her hands through my hair than we go straight to the bedroom. It's elite.”

White Sox Dave, who had endured years of public ridicule over his receding hairline, reflected on the broader social impact of his new hairline.

“People treat me differently now. I don’t necessarily feel more confident in daily life because of my hair, but I do have more cockiness,” he said, with a grin.

Kenjac, who had to miss the reunion due to his bachelor trip for his upcoming wedding, was more than pleased to be walking down the aisle with a fuller head of hair, “Even just the experience of going to Turkey was worth it. Istanbul is one of the most incredible cities I’ve ever visited. Go to Estenove—it's amazing service.” he said.

For the Baldstool crew and fans alike, the reunion was more than just a photo opportunity to compare results, but a chance to connect again over a unique shared experience that had clearly bonded them all.

Barstool’s 'Baldstool' journey is just one example of a larger cultural shift that's making hair transplants no longer a private or taboo topic.

High-profile men speaking openly about their hair restoration procedures have played a huge role in making them more mainstream in the public conversation. Comedians like Jim Jefferies and Jimmy Carr, Hollywood actors such as John Cena and Joel McHale, and sports stars including Wayne Rooney have all shared their experiences, showing that hair transplants are no longer something to hide.

Influencers and YouTube personalities have taken it even further, posting before-and-after photos, progress updates, and behind-the-scenes stories that make the process feel accessible and relatable. By seeing familiar faces embrace the procedure, the conversation around hair transplants has shifted from taboo to accepted, encouraging men everywhere to consider taking control of their own hairlines.

What was once a secretive, sometimes shame-filled procedure is now openly discussed—and even joked about—turning hair restoration into something less about vanity and more about confidence.,

Baldstool reflects this broader trend: men are embracing cosmetic enhancements publicly, and Turkey Hair Clinics like Estenove—with its combination of affordability, luxury, and medical expertise—are leading the charge, and with Baldstool Season 2 gearing up for another trip in early 2026, Barstool and Estenove are already putting the call out for men ready to join the next hair transplant journey.

For the Baldstool crew and the fans who joined them on the trip, it’s not just about hair—it’s about reclaiming your confidence.

And if their results are anything to by, the bald truth has never looked so good.

Apply to join Season 2 at www.estenove.com/barstool.