What do Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson and Patrick Stewart all have in common? (Aside from being sexy.) They are all bald.
Thinning hair seems like an inevitability for many men as they age, and according to a study conducted by the department of epidemiology at West Point University, around half of all men experience significant hair-loss by age 40.
But hair loss is not just a trial reserved for the older and wiser men of the world. Plenty of men in their early 20’s go through it too – as many as 16% it seems. What’s more, by 30 almost a quarter of men will have become ‘follicly challenged’.
So, to all my balding kings out there, you are not alone.
James, an MA politics student at Manchester, is an advocate of embracing the no-hair-do: “I think it’s just the kind of thing that people should own a bit more. Just be bald. It’s a whole look and people in craft beer shops give you more recognition.”
He decided to take the plunge and reach for the razor after beginning to lose his hair in his 20’s, but explains that he “always knew it was coming in a way”.
“There was a point when me and my brothers must have been about 12 and our dad sat us down one day before school. He said, ‘Right there’s something I need to talk to you about. My hair didn’t make it to 30 and neither will yours. Come on let’s go to school.’”
Perhaps open conversations about hair loss like this is the only way to avoid a certain level of trauma which may come from losing your locks while others around you get to keep theirs. But hair loss during university is still an uncomfortable topic for many.
Callum, a recent graduate of UoM, realised he was thinning out in second year: “I was so embarassed, I would wear hats all the time to cover it up. None of my friends at the time could really relate to it.”
Callum realised he needed to “face his fears” after being turned away from a Manchester club for refusing to remove his hat: “I think I held onto my hair for way too long and I felt way better when I just accepted it and shaved it off.”
Yet many people feel compelled to hold onto their hair. You might not have realised but celebrities such as Matthew Mcconaughey, Jude Law and David Beckham have all undergone hair transplants, to name a few.
For those of you that don’t have access to tens of thousands of pounds, James pointed out one silver linings of having no hair is “the time it shaves off your morning routine – you are out of the shower and you are done. It is so convenient.”
Alongside this he offered two pieces of advice to cushion the emotional and physical impact of losing your hair: “I know not everyone can grow a beard but I do feel better having facial hair. I’ve tried having neither and it just doesn’t work for me. Being bald and having a beard is a strong look.”
James’ other tip to anyone “considering taking the plunge [of shaving your head] is to buy a hat. Your head gets so cold.”
There you have it, not only will you save time and water, but with a bald head, a cool beanie, a good beard, you’ll fit in well in craft beer shops . You can do it – be bold, be bald.
