When you get past all their masculine pride and bravado, men of all ages are frightened to death of becoming bald. For a majority of men, not having hair equates to a life simply not worth living, as they are convinced that an integral component of their manhood has disappeared forever.
For many men, balding imparts a sense of panic as they believe that women will no longer be attracted to them, job opportunities will become scarce, and that they simply are no longer attractive in any way, shape, or form. The internal meltdown these men feel extend for years, and in many ways mimic classic anxiety symptoms.
The frantic state of balding men became immensely exacerbated by a recent article published by GQ that was entirely fallacious. Authored by Liza Corsillo, the article entitled “Everything You Need To Know About Your Thinning Hair,” is full of false, misleading, and altogether preposterous content. Worst of all, the stories tagline is “How to go Bald.”
Most likely written to be sensationalist, and sell more issues of GQ by appealing to balding men and their shrunken self esteem, Corsillo’s article is not only fallacious, but does men a great disservice with her cautionary advice on hats; an essential piece of apparel that is essential for balding men to protect their scalp from cold weather, UV rays, and inclement weather.
Corsillo focuses on two main elements that she believes causes male pattern baldness – over shampooing and consistent use of hats. She even goes so far to say that wearing hats is the worst problem for balding men, and is a primary reason for the onset of baldness due to the lack of oxygen enabling hair growth and the inability of the sweat glands to breathe freely,
Nothing could be further from the truth. Hats do not cause baldness. Call it what you want – a myth, a misconception, or even an urban legend, it simply is not true. In fact, Dr. Alan Bauman, a well-respected expert and board-certified hair restoration specialist, immediately rebuked the information provided in Corsillo’s article and stated that her information was “Completely, 100-percent bogus and false in so many ways. It is a great example of the myths associated with hair follicles and male pattern hair loss that continue to be perpetuated by the uneducated.”
Androgenic alopecia (or male pattern hair loss), he explained, is caused by the “progressive miniaturization of hair follicles that are sensitive to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a breakdown product of the male hormone testosterone.”
It doesn’t even require a board-certified expert hair restoration specialist to recognize the fact that the hat/baldness myth has been disproven for decades. US News and Healthline.com, two of the most widely recognized and respected sites online, conclusively state that there is no harm in wearing hats and that they absolutely do not result in baldness.
Healthline.com clearly lists the reasons why a man might go bald, from biological to environmental reasons but certainly, nothing having to do with hat-wearing.
Among Healthline’s most salient points in regard to male pattern baldness are the following:
- A primary cause of male pattern baldness is having a genetic history of baldness in your family
- Male pattern baldness is strongly correlated with androgens; male sex hormones that play many roles in a man’s biology, including hair growth.
- Male pattern baldness can also be caused by medications, medical conditions such as cancer or thyroid issues, or the use of anabolic steroids
- It’s of critical importance for men to get over the anxiety of their thinning hair and instead focusing on the factors that are causing it. A trip to their physician can yield important information about whether the onset of baldness is merely a genetic occurrence or an indicator of graver circumstances
The Lowdown on Men, Baldness, and Hats
We all know the familiar quote that nothing is certain but death and taxes, but the inevitable truth is that well over half of men (66%) will experience male pattern baldness at some stage in their life before the age of sixty. For both men and women, there are just certain unavoidable biological processes and occurrences that are associated with gender.
That being said, men who begin to go bald, or those men who have become completelybald have nothing to be embarrassed about. It is natural, normal, and overwhelming common. Often hereditary and with the potential to start at any point after puberty, baldness happens all the time, to men of all ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds
There is no point in fretting, panicking or feeling inadequate about yourself due to your lack of hair. It is after all just hair and only but one tiny element of all the things that make you a man.
Our advice to you is to rock your baldness. Be proud, unflappable, and accept this new chapter of your manhood. Becoming bald is an awesome time to start upping your fashion game with hats of all types and styles. Wearing hats have nothing to do with hiding your balding head- rather, they are now a necessity of a new stage of your life and can protect your scalp from a range of elements.
There’s nothing sexier than a well-dressed, thoughtfully accessorized man. Check out ultra-fashionable hats from Kangol for great urban style, classic Panama-style hats for a vintage aesthetic, or even an on-trend fedora hat to lend some funk to your fashion repertoire.
Conclusion
Subscribe to common sense notions about health and remember that not everything you read or hear is true. Mistaken belief, unsound arguments, and all-out lies are found throughout various media avenues every day.
To reiterate, hats won’t hurt you. In fact, they help you. They offer protection, warmth, and effortlessly up your fashion game in ways that you would have never previously considered. No matter what any insistent ignoramus claims, hats are not detrimental to the health or vitality of your hair.
If you start balding, consider it an opportunity to evolve as a man and become an even sexier version of your previous self with your newfound focus on stylish hats for a pulled-together look that lesser men arenot able to accomplish.