Balding Men, Better Choices

Of late, there has been increased media attention about the negative attitudes surrounding aging and many outlets are taking steps to correct this stereotype, including Allure magazine’s ban on the term anti-aging.   And the New York times recently addressed the how enslaved older women have become to coloring their hair, a beauty habit that is both expensive and time consuming.  But men are not immune from societal pressure to appear young and vital and for many aging or prematurely balding guys, hair is also a sensitive topic.

Despite more recent attempts to embrace baldness by simply shaving or close cropping thinning hair, many men don’t feel they rock this look or are self conscious about their expanding forehead.  And although for the most part, thankfully, the comb-over has been eschewed, toupees and other methods of hair replacement are more common than we might believe.

For thousands of years men have worn toupees; the first being discovered at an early Egyptian burial place.   And many celebrities have covered their baldness over the years; Sean Connery, John Travolta, John Wayne, William Shatner and Frank Sinatra to name a few.   Not all will admit to wearing a hair piece but given the statistics it’s a fair bet that many more wear a toupee or have had hair replacement surgery.

Hair loss is very common among men and not all calmly accept their fate just as not all women are prepared to gracefully go grey when they feel better about themselves, and perhaps more youthful with the help of a skilled colorist.   According to the American Hair Loss Association, about 2 out of 3 men will experience some thinning of their hair by 35 and by 50, nearly 85 per cent will have significant thinning.   A 2013 Berlin study found that even minor balding can lead to low self-confidence and affect quality of life or even lead to psychological disorders. 

Just like coloring is a personal preference for women, some men will continue to try and hide their thinning hair at any cost. Today’s high quality hair systems may be expensive but it’s probably a good investment for men who want to take that route without appearing in public with a “bad rug”.  But there are many other ways to camouflage and combat receding or thinning hair including a strategic hair cut, regrowth serums and of course staying healthy with a good diet, regular exercise and stress management. 

To view the best haircuts for men with thinning hair, visit Men’s Health by following this link.