The Secret Behind Tinder's Most Swiped Profile
For 14 years, Stefan-Pierre Tomlin maintained a carefully guarded secret while navigating the world of dating and modeling. The man once celebrated as Tinder's "most right-swiped" user in 2017, with an astonishing 14,600 matches, concealed his receding hairline through elaborate measures that cost him thousands annually and consumed his daily thoughts.
A Decade-Long Concealment
Stefan, now 35, first noticed his hair thinning at age 21, just four years after signing as a model. "It was one of the worst things that could happen to me," he confessed. His immediate response was to raid his mother's makeup bag for brown eyeliner to draw on a new hairline—a practice he maintained for three years before transitioning to more sophisticated methods.
Over the years, Stefan invested approximately £3,000 annually in wigs, specialized hair-building fibers, and maintenance treatments. He visited a specialist barber in Notting Hill and employed various techniques to create the illusion of a full head of hair. "My hair would be the first thought when I wake up and the last when I go to bed," he revealed. "I didn't want anyone to see it—especially as a model. It may have ruined my career."
The Dating Double Life
During his nine-year tenure on Tinder, where he went on over 50 dates and secured more than 48,000 likes, Stefan maintained his hair secret with meticulous precision. He avoided swimming pool invitations during a Love Island trailer shoot by claiming he couldn't swim, fearing his water-sensitive fibers would smudge. On dates, he dodged women's attempts to touch his hair and steered conversations away from hair-related topics.
"Even the pictures on my dating profile were of me with fibers in," Stefan admitted. "If a woman was to tussle my hair, I'd dodge away from their hand. They probably thought I was a little bit mental." When relationships progressed to overnight stays, he wore durags to bed and woke hours early to tend to his hairline before his partners awoke.
Modeling and Media Appearances
Despite his secret, Stefan maintained a successful modeling career, walking runways for Burberry and appearing on MTV's Celebrity Ex on the Beach in 2021. He also participated in television shows like Celebs Go Dating and Written In The Stars on Discover+ in 2023, all while concealing his true hair situation. Through his matchmaking company, Celebrity Love Coach, based in Greenwich, London, he continued to present a carefully curated image to the world.
The Turning Point
The breakthrough came when Stefan met his current girlfriend, Vicki Batsford, 44, in October 2024. After six months of dating, he finally felt comfortable enough to reveal his secret. "Vicki made me feel trusted and safe," he said. "When I finally explained, she said she loved me for who I was." This acceptance gave him the courage to seek a permanent solution.
In February 2026, Stefan underwent a £5,000 hair transplant procedure at the British Hair Clinic in Essex. The decision, he says, has "changed his life" and restored his confidence. "My confidence has gone through the roof," he declared. "Even though the recovery is meant to take two weeks, I look completely normal."
A Message of Empowerment
Now in recovery, Stefan wants to use his experience to help others struggling with similar insecurities. "For anyone who is feeling the same, I can't recommend the procedure enough," he urged. "It has completely changed my life and I'm so ready to go back out on the runway again."
He emphasizes that there's "no shame" in seeking hair restoration treatments and hopes his story will encourage more men to address their hair loss concerns openly. After years of concealment that cost him financially and emotionally, Stefan finally feels free to be himself—both on and off the dating apps that made him famous.
