Raymond van Barneveld’s hair is always a topic of interest when the Dutch legend steps up to the oche
Raymond Van Barneveld’s unique hairstyle has captured the attention of supporters(Image: Getty)
Five-time world champion and crowd favourite Raymond van Barneveld makes his return to the Alexandra Palace stage this evening as he launches his latest PDC World Darts Championship bid.
Getting underway at approximately 8pm, the Dutch icon will take on Switzerland’s Stefan Bellmont in the first round, with Barney heavily backed by the bookies to dispatch the world No. 111.
Whilst millions of viewers will have their gaze fixed on the drama unfolding at the Ally Pally, focus will undoubtedly shift to Van Barneveld’s distinctive hairstyle. Despite triumphing over numerous elite players in the sport, including sixteen-time World Championship victor Phil Taylor, the 58-year-old has battled against every middle-aged gentleman’s greatest fear – receding hair.
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To combat his thinning locks, Van Barneveld visited a hair restoration clinic in his homeland, with Barney humorously comparing his fresh appearance to that of a children’s toy. He posted: “Always been a big fan of @playmboil with my ‘Playmobil Hair’. Thought I’d say it before someone else does!”.
However, Van Barneveld didn’t undergo a conventional hair transplant, instead choosing a treatment with a firm called Transhair that involved having stubble inked onto his scalp, resulting in the star displaying a striking appearance that has caught fans’ attention. Transhair offer a comprehensive explanation of the procedure on their website.
They explain: “Raymond van Barneveld opted for the so-called MHP hair pigmentation treatment in our clinic. So actually it is not correct when we say ‘hair transplantation’, because MHP is a different type of treatment.
Raymond van Barneveld’s announcement surprised the darting world(Image: Luke Walker/Getty Images)
“With this technique we tattoo stubble on the scalp. This way you create a shaven look, as it were. This treatment is perfect for anyone who has short, shaved hair and where baldness has already progressed.
“With this innovate MHP technique – also called stubble tattoo – small stubbles are imitated, so that it appears as if the head has been shaved. The result looks very natural. Our Micro Hair Pigmentation treatments are carried out by Clinic4Hair, a sister company of Transhair that has specialists with years of experience in this field.”
Barney will be hoping for an improved campaign at this year’s World Championships following his early exit last year, when the Dutchman was knocked out in round two by Wales’ Nick Kenny. Two years prior, the Hague-born legend departed in the fourth round after suffering a 4-1 loss to a certain 16-year-old Luke Littler.
The former world number one claimed the world title on four occasions whilst competing on the BDO circuit before switching to the rival PDC organisation in 2007. That same year, he triumphed over long-time adversary Taylor 7-6 in a final that many regard as one of the finest darts encounters ever witnessed.
