Thursday, September 1, 2011

What Would You Do If You Were Losing Your Hair?


I feel for men who are going bald. Today baldness is considered hip, but thinning hair has to be traumatic. Hair is such a big part of our identity, a symbol of youth and not everyone looks good with a bald head.

According to several medical sources, male pattern badness affects about 40 million men in the US alone.  Men have a 4 in 7 chance of inheriting the baldness gene.  Studies indicate that early baldness is passed on through the X chromosome, but the Y chromosome plays a part too.  Castrated men don't go bald.  Interesting fact, but yikes!  Don't try it at home.

Male pattern baldness begins with a receding hairline (from the lateral sides of the forehead).  Usually, a woman's hair doesn't start to thin until she is in her 80s.  

In spite of websites that claim to treat baldness, there's not much you can do to slow it down, or regrow your hair.  Two FDA approved treatments, finasteride [Propecia] and minoxidel [Rogaine] have limited success.  And hair implants are costly, painful and not very effective either.

Hollywood types like William Shatner, Nicolas Cage, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Cryer, Jude Law and Gene Simmons are rumored to wear hairpieces while in the public eye.  As did Michael Jackson.  Elton John does too.  It doesn't take experience to know that fake hair is an ordeal to wear.

I don't blame a person for doing whatever he has to do to deal with hair loss.  If it were me, I'd get some tony, happening hats like Micky Dolenz and Cee Lo Green.

Life is change.  Since the beginning of time.  Every body changes.  But, you're in good company.  Many other men are going bald too.  Hopefully, losing one's hair makes a person a little more compassionate.  No one is perfect, and if it's not one thing, surely, it will be something else.

2 comments:

  1. Baldness is hip- that's why I love this blog. I have tried to grow my hair longer, then comb it back above the ears and keep it slicked down.

    Aside from being a cool dude, I have become a bigger fan of baseball hats than I used to be. Esspecially on sunny days. No medicines or supplements for me.

    For those interested in the genetic angles, my father's side offers full hair, while the men on my mom's side are/ were folically challenged.

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  2. What I like about contemporary times is, whatever we have is hip! There is no one style fits all today.

    It's interesting to think about what men who have to worry about their public image in Hollywood do. I think a stage actor has an easier time.

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