It’s estimated that up to 25% of men begin to lose their hard by age 30, and almost half of men have lost a considerable amount of hair by the time they turn 50. Societal acceptance of baldness still has some way to go however, and it’s often considered to be a stereotypically ‘unattractive’ trait.
Hair transplant experts GetHair carried out a survey of over 2,000 women and the results of the survey suggest that there’s still a large amount of prejudice and close-mindedness toward those experiencing baldness and hair loss. The study revealed that just 13% of women aged between 25-40 found bald men attractive, and 7 out of 10 women have never dated a bald man. What’s more, almost half of the women surveyed believed that men became less attractive as they lost their hair, and 1 in 5 women in London say they would leave their partner if he went bald.
It’s no surprise then, that more men are looking at hair transplant options than ever before. GetHair Founder Kaan Aksoy said of the results, ‘The majority of our customers get hair transplants for their own self-esteem, not because they are trying to please others – however, it’s clear from these results that women do place an importance on men having a good set of hair. Ultimately, men need to feel good about themselves and not worry about what others think.’
Relationship expert and Founder of matchmaking platform Mai Tai Shar Fuller agrees. She says ‘We all have one or two superficial dealbreakers because physical attraction isn’t something you can leave out of the love equation; we know a few single ladies who have said that the thought of their significant other losing their hair is a concern’. Fuller continues, ‘our message is still clear though – there is someone for everyone and genuine love is easy when you have modest expectations of your perfectly flawed partner.’
Not all men experience baldness, although it is near impossible to reach old age with full and healthy hair follicles still in place. That said, there are lots of conventionally attractive men around who have gone bald or who have chosen to pre-emptively shave their head; such as Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson and Stanley Tucci.
Men can lose their hair for a variety of reasons, but the most common is male pattern baldness. It can be inherited or can just happen naturally, and it comes about due to hair follicles shrinking over time, which means the hair becomes shorter and finer, and eventually stops growing entirely. However, hair loss can also occur as a result of other health conditions including thyroid issues, hormonal imbalances, cancers, side effects of medication and stress.
Men who are experiencing the beginning of hair loss but want to avoid it have the choice of several options. Hair transplants are becoming increasingly popular due to advancements in the technology that renders the treatment less painful, less obvious and more effective than it has ever been before.
Whatever men choose to do, it’s important first and foremost that they love and respect themselves and progress in a way that works best, and is most empowering, for them.
