A Maidstone Gurkha badly injured in a Taliban bomb blast might have come to terms with losing both legs and three fingers, but there is one thing he is desperate to restore – his hair.

Rifleman Vinod Budhathoki has suffered with hair loss for seven years since losing both legs in Afghanistan, and is now seeking to reverse it in preparation for the Olympics in 2020.

The 32-year-old’s struggles with stress and medication began in the wake of the explosion on May 25, 2010, and his hair began to fall out soon after.

He said: “After my injury I took lots and lots of medicine. I finished my rehab and everything, and people said ‘your hair makes you look different’, and I thought I wanted to do something about my hair.

“I used Regaine for two years, it didn’t help.”

Vinod also lost three fingers on his right hand when he was on foot patrol with nine other men, 300 metres from their base.

The father-of-two was thrown into a nearby stream and recollects the agony he felt moments after stepping on to an improvised explosive device.

He said: “I can remember everything. I was conscious throughout. I saw my right leg, there was no boot; my leg was already off.

“I had my left leg but it was already smashed. I knew they were going to take it off.

“The most pain I had during the incident was when my friend put the tourniquet on my legs; that was the most painful time.”

“I lost a lot of blood. They put me on a stretcher and started running towards the base.

“It was wobbly, so I put my hands down to hold on. I looked at my right hand and saw my index finger was smashed like when you hit it with a rock.”

Vinod now has set his sights on representing Team GB at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo in the 10m shooting and has been training since he left the military.

He has already performed at the Invictus Games and met Prince Harry a number of times since serving together in Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008.

Vinod’s hair woes were brought to an end by KSL Hair boss Lloyd Hume, the former Maidstone United manager.

Mr Hume said: “When Vinod walked into our surgery I was star struck. He is an amazing person, with a horrific story.

“Just because he has suffered life-altering injuries in the warzone doesn’t mean he, like so many of us, worries any less about losing his hair.

“We were really delighted to carry out his surgery and we are looking forward to seeing the full results over coming months.

“As a company we are used to working with many servicemen looking for a permanent solution to hair loss.

"It was a privilege to have worked with Vinod and we wish him the best for Tokyo 2020.”