A decade ago, studies first revealed that women who were searching for a partner on a dating site were five times more likely to connect with a man who had a full head of hair than one with thinning hair. Fast forward a decade and it appears that attitudes haven’t changed. In fact, just this year a scientific study showed that not only do women like men with a full head of hair, but they also like men who are able to grow a full beard, too.
Similarly, in 2016 a survey of 50 women showed that almost a quarter of respondents wouldn’t consider dating someone who was either balding or bald, with one participant declaring that there’s ‘nothing worse than a big balding spot in a bushel of hair’.
As a result, it’s perhaps unsurprising that men with thinning hair are taking action to either keep the hair that’s currently on their head or are looking to cosmetically enhance their appearance. Due to this, the male hair loss industry is worth more than £3 billion worldwide as men continue trying to hide or reverse their natural hair loss to boost their self-belief and appear more appealing to potential partners.
This is unsurprising because, as the above scientific studies have shown, we live in a world where physical appearance clearly matters and what we look like can determine how we perform in our quest for love.
As a direct result, men have tried several ways of reversing their hair loss. So, while some men have taken to using products like caffeine shampoo to encourage hair growth, others have received hair transplants like the ones that were made popular by celebrities such as the actor James Nesbitt.
However, although it’s effective, getting a hair transplant in the UK can be incredibly expensive (often costing upwards of £10,000), so people have looked for other options. As a result, hair transplants in Turkey are increasingly popular due to their low cost and high-quality pool of doctors, who have many years’ experience in the industry.
How do men who are losing their hair feel?
Traditionally, baldness or thinning hair have been associated with undesirable characteristics such as weakness, while a thick head of hair has instead been associated with strength and virility (which is why women often respond more positively to men who have hair).
So, due to the results of the scientific surveys above, it’s unsurprising that many men who are losing their hair often feel self-conscious about it. This is because, for a lot of people, losing hair is synonymous with ageing, and some people start to feel like they’re becoming less attractive because they’re losing their hair.
However, if you suffer from thinning hair, it’s important for you to know that you’re not alone. Studies have shown that, by the age of 50, half of all men will show significant signs of hair loss. In addition to this, scientists now believe that men are losing their hair earlier than ever before – so much so that 25% of men will now start losing their hair by the age of 21.
Are there any positives to losing your hair?
Although recent surveys show women prefer men with hair, losing your hair isn’t always a negative, and as actors such as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Jason Statham have shown, bald men can be strong and powerful.
In fact, a study by a leading scientific journal revealed that when other men and women were asked to grade photos of men with a full head of hair and bald men on how dominant, agreeable, and old they might be, the bald men were voted as being more agreeable and much more dominant.
To understand the results of the survey, the scientists also showed the same group of people two photos of the same man. However, in one photo the man had a full head of hair and in the other he was bald. In response, the participants rated the bald man as being:
- 13% more dominant
- 6% more confident
- 10% more masculine
- an inch taller
- 13% stronger
However, if you’re losing your hair, the study also showed that you may be better off accepting this fact rather than hiding it. This is because the scientists repeated the survey and added a photo of a man with thinning hair. This time, the survey results clearly showed that men with thinning hair fared far worse than either bald men or men with a full head of hair.
From this, the message is clear: if you’re going bald, you should embrace this fact. However, if you just can’t stomach the thought of braving the shave, you may be better off following in the footsteps of the millions of men who are embracing modern medicine and undergoing transplants or taking medication to keep their hair looking lush and thick.
