The Heartache of Hair Loss

By Christine Haran
Published on: November 14, 2003 (Healthology, Inc.)

"For most people, hair is an integral part of themselves, so hair loss really represents losing a part of themselves and their self image," says Jerry Cooley, MD, of the Carolina Dermatology Hair Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. "Hair is also associated with youth, vitality and energy, so, for right or wrong, most people consider people with hair more attractive."

Studies have linked pattern baldness not only to dissatisfaction with one's appearance, but also to lowered self-esteem and other measures of self-worth. A 1992 study from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that most men regard hair loss as an "an unwanted distressing experience that diminishes their body image." Likewise, a 1999 study published in the Journal of Women's Health and Gender-Based Medicine found that hair loss in women was associated with self-consciousness, jealousy and a feeling of powerlessness about hair loss.

Not surprisingly, gender tends to affect the degree to which people are bothered by their hair loss. "With men, we can accept a certain amount of recession and thinning," says Sharon Keene, MD, of the Physician's Hair Institute in Tucson. "With women, no degree of thinning is acceptable."

Age also influences the way hair loss affects an individual. "When men start to lose their hair at 19 or 20, they're blindsided," says Stanley Teitelbaum, PhD, a psychotherapist in New York City. "And for men in middle age, hair loss is an external marker of what they're already beginning to feel internally: a feeling of decline. This may be a loss of beauty, or a decline in their physical functioning or sexual prowess."

Although people who are concerned about their hair loss are sometimes accused of vanity, experts suggest that this characterization is unfair. "The curiosity shouldn't be that people losing their hair have difficulty with it, but that we expect people not to care," Dr. Keane says. "We don't think twice about people having braces or wearing contact lenses. Hair is just another object of cosmetic appeal for men and women."

Some people accept their baldness, and as Dr. Teitelbaum points out, it's in vogue to shave your head. Many celebrity athletes and actors, for example, are proudly bald. Bald-R-Us and Bald-Headed Men of America (BHMA) are organizations that encourage men to revel in their baldness. People who choose this route might also consider attending BHMA's annual Bald Is Beautiful conference.

For those who want to change their hair loss situation, there are a number of options. Some may choose to use a wig or hairpiece or camouflage products such as Toppik, a power that makes the scalp less noticeable. Others may choose medical therapy, such as Propecia, which is only approved for men, or Rogaine, which is available to men and women.

Surgery is yet another option for those seeking treatment. Hair transplantation has improved dramatically over the last decade, and, if performed by a qualified hair transplant specialist, can leave people with undetectable results.

So don't feel bad about feeling bad about your hair loss. "It's OK to want to do something about your hair loss," Dr. Cooley says. "It's a valid condition to seek treatment for."