Is it the ‘Walking Dead’ my friend saw strolling through Istanbul Airport? Hundreds of blokes with inflamed bloodied scalps and loads of tiny black spots dotted across their barnets.

By the way, did you know that the term ‘barnet’ used to describe a ‘head of hair’ comes from ‘Barnet Fair’, a famous horse fair held in Barnet, Hertfordshire, which attracted visitors from London and became part of London's rhyming slang? 

But back to Turkey – why weren’t these males covering up their domes, noodles, noggins?

Because the treatment they’d just undergone requires their heads to be clear of anything that might rub and remove some of the 1,000s of implanted hairs.

And why is Istanbul airport swarming with gents who look as if someone’s dotted their scalp with a black sharp felt tip pen? Because it’s £2,500 a pop in Turkey rather than £7,500 in the UK, and even more in other western countries.

And 1,000s of men are willing to endure the initial pain and eight months of inconvenience to hopefully realise the thick thatch they so desire. 

I remember, aged 13, coming out in a cold sweat when I heard that film star John Travolta was losing hair at an alarming rate, but fortunately I’ve managed to retain a reasonable covering of hair to this day.

‘Better grey hair than nae hair!’ fits my outlook. But it does get harder for my wonderful wife and hairdresser to disguise my bald patches each time I submit to shearing. 

Yes, I’m starting to eye up caps and hats that might suit me, beyond the baseball caps I wear for sunny days.

But there’s no way you’ll find me on a plane to Istanbul looking for someone to fill the gaps. I’ve been scared off wigs ever since, in a hilarious piece of live TV, Harry Carpenter’s wig got blown off his bald head by a gust of wind at the British Open! 

Feeling follicly challenged is just one of many insecurities people face. You may manage to get a rare hair factory working well for you and become more confident about your appearance, and yet have other causes to worry about in how you look and how you think others see you.

I have ‘vitiligo’ a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose colour. So, I have milky-white patches of skin on my face, head, hands, and all over my body. I use high factor sun cream and in the summer end up with a very uneven tan. 

In my younger years I was pretty self-conscious about it, but the significant belief that boosts my esteem and frees me from vanity and concern about how others see me is the knowledge that I am truly loved by God, family, and friends.

The ultimate safety net for my sanity is that I know God loves me the way I am, and that ‘inner beauty’ is more important than skin-deep looks.

Sure, I can sometimes be right ugly in my inner attitude and outlook, but I know where to go for cleansing and the renewal of a clear spirit – not Turkey, but Jesus! May God’s love set us free to live in the glow of God’s beaming smile over us. 

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head (& cells in your body) are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7 / NIV)