In this article we're going to deal with the psychological problems of hair loss and the various ways to deal with them.

The truth is, hair loss and baldness in men is not the stigma that it was years ago. Today baldness is actually seen as sexy in some circles. Men like Telly Savalis, Yul Brenner, Michael Jordan, Patrick Stewart, Vin Diesel, Andre Agassi, Samuel L. Jackson, and even a woman like Persis Khambatta, who sizzled the screen in Star Trek The Motion Picture, have made baldness something that is looked at as quite attractive. Can you picture Captain Picard on the Enterprise with hair? Somehow I doubt it.

Still in some areas baldness is a problem, primarily in the workplace of professional men like accountants, lawyers, insurance salesmen and others. If you look around you will notice that the most successful men in these and many other business related fields have full heads of hair. The bald man doesn't travel as far in many circles. Mostly because he doesn't fit the executive "image" and therefore he will rarely move that far up the corporate ladder. Now once a man has achieved a position of president or vice president then it's a different story. Seldom will anyone dare to make the boss feel insecure because he is bald. Unfortunately most male pattern baldness starts at a young age and they never even make it that far.

For women it is even worse. A bald woman in the workplace is looked at like a freak. In almost all societies a woman's only recourse if she goes bald, usually because of a medical condition, or more likely from cancer treatment, is to go out and get a wig. While this will usually be noticeable unless one is purchased that looks exactly like her own hair did, it is her only option to dealing with the looks that she is certain to get.

So how does one deal with the psychological problems one is confronted with after going bald? Because aside from how others see you there is the problem with how you now feel about yourself. With men this is a difficult time. Many feel like they've lost a part of their manhood. They feel like less than a man. They're not as confident when going out in public. They don't feel as attractive to their wives. They feel like they've lost a friend that they've had their whole lives. Also it reminds them that they are getting old, though in reality much male pattern baldness starts very young. With women this can be one of the most traumatic times of their life.

So again, how DO they deal with baldness? Unfortunately the best way is to have the problem treated. See a dermatologist. Try to get to the root of the problem and correct it if possible. There are also support groups and a few Internet forums these people can go to but they're not as readily available as support groups for alcoholics and drug addicts. Sadly, society doesn't really think of baldness as a serious psychological issue even though, to the people who suffer from it, it can be one of the most traumatic times of their lives.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Hair Loss
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