The Psychology of Male Hair Loss

A man from the Neolithic Age was found frozen in a glacier near the Austrian-Italian border in 1991. This man, who was believed to have lived over 5,000 years ago, had hair that was cut in a very neat and precise style. Apparently, he considered the appearance of his hair to be very important.

The story of Samson and Delilah is also telling. Samson possessed supernatural strength bound within his hair. When Delilah had his head shaved, his strength disappeared with his hair.

Hair has fascinated us since the beginning of time, and it is normal to feel worried if your hair is starting to thin or go bald. Specifically, hair loss can possibly trigger masculinity issues. Some may worry about things like, Will women still find me unattractive? Will I look too old to get that promotion from work? Will people consider me “over the hill? Hair loss can and often does evoke a feeling that life as you know it is over. In a way, baldness can be associated with our approaching mortality.

Let’s break down some of the different aspects of the psychology of male hair loss. How many of these reactions have you personally experienced?

Denial

Denial plays a role in almost every reaction and emotion that a man feels when it comes to his hair loss. Men tend to deny that they are losing their hair or that they find it upsetting and cannot handle it emotionally. Denial can hide behind every corner and even cloud the most straightforward discussion.

For the most part, recognizing and coping with denial, which is only a lie to yourself, can be the most important yet the most difficult part of the process of understanding the psychology of baldness. How can you get to the truth if you’re starting with a lie?

Denial prevents an accurate assessment of the baldness and its possible treatment options. It can lead people to false “hair loss cures and treatments”. Why do you think that close to a billion dollars is wasted on bogus baldness cures every year?

Humiliation

Many men complain that their hair loss has caused them to become a big joke with their friends. Most men say that they first realized they were balding when their “best friend” pointed it out and started to bug them about it. Since most balding men are already upset, they are in a defensive place as well as a bit of a bind. If he reacts to the teasing with anything other than mute acceptance, he will be perceived as less than a man, which is exactly how he may already be feeling because of his thinning hair. So the best of his seemingly bad options is to take the teasing “like a man” without saying anything and to just start wearing hats more often.

If you are tired of pretending that your hair loss does not bother you, contact the Toronto Hair Transplant Clinic to discuss your hair restoration options and to schedule a consultation.