We all know the tale of Samson and the trip to the barbers, but what happens to a sportsman's strength when he loses his hair?

It's a question that two of the world's best athletes, Tiger Woods and Gareth Bale, are facing this week. Bale's bald patch was mocked by Twitter trolls last weekend; Woods' forehead is growing by the day. Both, it seems, are victims of male pattern baldness.

To help ease their troubles, here's a before and after extravaganza of sporting baldness. Not all is lost, lads. 

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Source:Getty