France, April 19 -- Jerome Hamon, the first man in the world to have undergone two face transplants- in 2010 and 2018- and who thus had three different faces during his life, has died at the age of 49.

"He was exhausted at the end," Franck Zal, a close family friend and doctor of the Frenchman, told Brittany daily Le Telegramme.

"A week ago I was exchanging text messages with him."

Zal's company developed the technology that made the 2018 transplant possible.

"I want to testify to Jerome's strength. I was always asking him how he managed to manage it all," he added.

Hamon, who passed away on 16 April, will be laid to reston Friday in Saint-Thegonnec, Finistere, the region in Brittany where he is from.Genetic disorder

The 2018 transp...