Near the Austrian-Italian border, a Neolithic man was discovered frozen in a glacier in 1991. This man’s hair was trimmed very neatly and precisely, and it is estimated that he lived in approximately 5,300 B.C. He obviously thought a lot about how his hair looked.
Samson and Delilah’s tale is very interesting. Samson had superhuman strength encased in his hair. His strength was gone when Delilah had a servant shave him bald.
Humans have always been captivated by hair, therefore it is only normal to be worried if your hair is thinning. In particular, thinning hair can lead to problems with masculinity. Will women find me unattractive, this is a common concern. Will I appear too old to earn that job promotion? Will I be viewed as “over the hill,” and so on? Losing your hair can and frequently does make you feel as though your life has come to an end. In this regard, baldness is a sign of impending death.
The Psychology Behind A Good Hair Day is a fantastic article that we highly recommend from Psychology Today. Read Dr. Galope’s blog entry about the psychology of becoming bald at a young age if you are a young man who is losing your hair.
Let’s examine the various facets of male hair loss psychology. How many of these have you actually had?
Denial
Nearly every response and feeling a man experiences in relation to his hair loss involves denial. Men want to deny everything, including that they are losing their hair, that it bothers them, and that they are emotionally incapable of handling it. Even the most plain conversation is clouded by denial, which lurks around every corner. The most crucial and most challenging step in comprehending the psychology of baldness is by far acknowledging and dealing with denial, which is a lie to oneself. If you start with a falsehood, how can you possibly uncover the truth? Denial makes it difficult to accurately appraise the severity of baldness and the treatment options available, which might result in the wrong course of action. Do you know why nearly $1 billion is wasted annually on phony treatments for baldness?
Humiliation
Many guys who come to us with this complaint say that their friends have started making fun of them because of their hair loss. Many claim that they became aware of their balding for the first time when their “best friend” made fun of them in the locker room. The balding man is on guard because he is already terrified and worried. He too is in a bind. He will be seen as less than a man if he responds to the taunting in any way other than passive acceptance, which is exactly how he could already feel as a result of his thinning hair. The best of his seemingly poor options is to simply accept the taunts “like a man” and start donning caps.
Jealousy
Bald males typically feel jealous because they lust for what their non-bald brothers possess. Either this is conscious or not. When commentating on Super Bowl XXIII, Terry Bradshaw, the legendary quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s, referred to Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway as being spoiled, overpaid, and overrated. Elway simply answered that Bradshaw was just envious since Terry was paid considerably less while Terry was playing.
After nine years had gone, the Broncos and John Elway participated in Super Bowl XXXII in 1998 and won. Terry Bradshaw, once more the event commentator, reluctantly acknowledged that he was envious of John Elway’s income and hair.
Isolation-related emotions
Ironically, any man who is balding tends to feel entirely alone despite the fact that most balding men have the same emotions. Do not forget that you are not by yourself. We have discussed hair loss with thousands of guys over the years, of every size, shape, and color. They are all united by the same needs, wants, and concerns. Unfortunately, social restrictions that forbade them from openly expressing any kind of emotion, much less concern about their appearance, made these guys feel restricted and alone. Men frequently believe that in order to appear powerful and stoic, they must be emotionless. Unfortunately, their attempts to come off as strong only serve to keep them apart from one another. Women, however, are not subject to the same emotional limitations. They are able to use any methods necessary to keep their beauty while openly expressing their emotions.
If you’re sick of trying to hide how your hair loss affects you psychologically and emotionally, get in touch with us to talk about your own experiences or to arrange a one-on-one session.
