Baldness, also known as hair loss or alopecia refers to the loss of hair from the head or body. Usually, at least the head is involved in this process. The severity of this condition can differ from a very small area to the entire body.
Generally, scarring or inflammation is not present. However, hair loss often causes psychological distress, especially for men.
Common types of alopecia include female-pattern hair loss, male-pattern hair loss, alopecia areata, and telogen effluvium, which is the thinning of hair. The typical cause of male-pattern hair loss is a blend of male hormones and genetics, while the reason behind female-pattern hair loss is unclear.
Alopecia areata is autoimmune. Telogen effluvium is usually caused by a psychological or a physically stressful event, and it is very common in women after pregnancy.
Hair loss
While we don’t really see bald women, bald men seem to be everywhere. Hair loss can appear in any stage of a man’s life, and there is little he can do about it. Baldness can appear in your early twenties, in your forties, or when you get older. Some men are lucky enough to never experience it.
As mentioned earlier, the causes are a combination of male hormones and genetics, and you cannot control it. There are many men who deal with this situation by simply shaving their heads and moving on, but many others are very affected by this change from a psychological point of view.
In the past years, various miraculous treatments have been advertised as true cures for baldness. However, since we see just as many men losing their hair, it is safe to say that there is no miraculous treatment for hair loss. We do not want to denigrate any product without testing it, so some of them may be efficient for a few people.
However, since our bodies are different, these products may work for some, and not at all for others. While hitting a Bob punching bag might be good to shake off some of the anger hair loss generates, there are actually a few things you can try to overcome this new unwanted event, if we could call it that way.
Shame, shame, shame
No, we are not referring to a Game of Thrones episode. When men start losing hair and clear signs of baldness appear, a feeling of shame sets in their minds. Why is that? As Hollywood, advertisements, as well as the behavior of many men show, hair represents power, strength, and virility.
Freudians argued that a man’s hair symbolized his penis. Therefore, losing one’s hair was similar to a symbolic castration. Still, most men who go bald do not feel castrated but rather fear that they will no longer be attractive to potential sexual partners. Let’s be honest: our current culture has offered a lot of basis for that fear.
A bald man in a movie is usually a fool, or a villain, and rarely a sexy stallion. According to various psychologists and psychotherapists, the terror men feel at the prospect of losing their hair goes beyond just fear of not being attractive to women, and it also involves deep shame which is the emotional response to feeling inferior.
Another reason for feeling shame is the inability to accept the changes our bodies go through as we grow old, in a society that overvalues youth.
Try Different Hairstyles
There are several hairstyles available for those who are balding or completely bald. For example, buzz cuts or fades work well for those who have some remaining hair but want a shorter cut that requires little maintenance.
If there isn’t much left on top but more on the sides and back, then try a comb-over hairstyle which involves combing over what’s left from one side of the head over to the other side in order to create volume and fullness. Finally, if all else fails then embrace the bald look — there are many celebrities who rock this style with confidence!
Embrace it
According to specialists, the key is to first tolerate and then neutralize the shame. This is an inevitable part of being human. There is some degree of shame that is natural and normal. However, we need to find ways to identify it, to live with it, and, in the end, to be proud of ourselves in spite of it.
According to specialists, the key is to first tolerate and then neutralize the shame. This is an inevitable part of being human. There is some degree of shame that is natural and normal. However, we need to find ways to identify it, to live with it, and, in the end, to be proud of ourselves in spite of it.
You should understand that it is your character and your attitude that makes you the person you are, and not your hair. We won’t lie to you: some men are more attractive with hair. But look at Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Vin Diesel, Michael Jordan, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Statham, Tyson Beckford, Taye Diggs, Sean Connery, LL Cool J, Damon Wayans.
Do you want more names? There are plenty of more examples we can provide. What do all these men have in common? For once, they are all bald. They are all famous celebrities. They are all considered sex-symbols.
Also, at the beginning of their careers, they had hair. So, now that they become bald, did it stop them? No, they embraced it and moved on. Most of them have flourishing careers, and they do not seem like they are going to stop too soon.
