Homeless Man's Makeover Changes His Looks & His Life

Looking and feeling great can do wonders for your self-esteem.

But for one Spanish man, getting a makeover went well beyond improving his confidence — it completely changed his life.

La Salvajeria beauty salon in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, went viral after giving a local homeless man named Jose Antonio a makeover.

The salon's owner, Salva García, had known Antonio for years and had been trying (unsuccessfully) to bring the man in for a haircut. Eventually, Antonio finally agreed. The folks at La Salvajeria got to work cutting and dyeing Antonio's hair, trimming his beard, and cleaning up his eyebrows. They even outfitted the man in fresh, clean new clothes to go with his new haircut, hoping the new look would give Antonio the confidence he'd need to turn his life around.

Antonio had been suffering from depression, which led to his homelessness. "I'd ended up like a vegetable, not worrying about what I ate or how I looked," he said. This isn't uncommon, especially in North America., where 20 to 25 percent of the homeless population suffers from severe mental illness, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. He also suffered from health problems with his eyes, ears, and feet that he said he "wasn't dealing with."

The result of the makeover is phenomenal — and Antonio’s new look did exactly what the folks at La Salvajeria had hoped it would. Speaking to the Daily Mail, the 57-year-old explained the very real impact it's had on him and his new outlook on life.