An anxiety-ridden recluse who was afraid to speak to women says he is now “fighting them off” after spending almost £20,000 on plastic surgery to transform himself.
Throughout his younger years, Marcello Cantu, now 31, was so painfully shy that he couldn’t look at a member of the opposite sex without turning “bright red” and had a “non-existent” social life.
Desperate to improve his confidence, he decided to get under the knife to change his appearance – flying over 7,000 miles from Las Vegas to Turkey for the procedures.
Marcello has undergone two hair transplants, two nose jobs, had his ears reduced and pinned back and a fat transfer on his left eye.
And it’s apparently done wonders for his dating life.
“I never went on dates in high school, my social life was non-existent,” the businessman, who has 97,500 followers on Instagram (@marcellocantu) told JamPrime.com
“When I got to Los Angeles at 25, I had my own place and a decent car which is a big thing there, so I noticed that women paid me more attention.
“But things really started to change after I moved to Vegas in 2021.
“I started to establish a presence online and became a high-value guy with money and status.”
Marcello, who now earns more than £100,000 a month, added: “I also had all this cosmetic surgery around this time because I wanted to be somebody different and thought changing my outside appearance would do that.
“Once I did all those things women started throwing themselves at me – I’m literally fighting them off.
“It was kind of already happening when the business took off and I got a presence online, which showed off an active lifestyle.
“But it was a night and day difference when I had the surgery; the women went from being 7s and 8s to 9s and upwards.”
Marcello, who made his fortune in crypto and e-commerce, travelled to Turkey towards the end of 2021 to have all the procedures in one go.
It cost him $24,000 USD (approximately £19,800) and after a three-month recovery period, he was determined to look and feel his best.
In addition to altering his appearance with surgery, Marcello, who is originally from Dallas, Texas, signed up at the gym and began eating a high-protein diet to bulk up his naturally, skinny frame.
His radical transformation was so extreme that when he went to renew his passport he received a call from the Department of State asking if he had sent the right photo.
Luckily, Marcello was able to show them his surgery photos, allowing the document to be returned in time for him to go on holiday to Tulum, Mexico, in September 2022.
He said: “When I went to the passport agency in San Diego to expedite it they said there was a problem because I looked different.
“They said we thought you were an imposter because of all the surgery.
“I was able to show them all my before and after photos which really helped me out because I got my passport that day.”
And after not receiving much attention before the operations, Marcello is under no illusion that a lot of the women he goes on dates with are after “me for money”.
But he isn’t phased by this and still takes “them on nice dates and travels”.
He added: “It’s just having that status.
“If you are good-looking, have status and social media and are a respectful nice guy – you make the top 1% of income – you have got it made.
“I’m just determined to enjoy my life and make the most of the opportunities that are put in front of me.”
