We look back at a 2012 study which researched how men with shaved or bald heads were perceived and consider the implications for Scalp Micropigmentation wearers.
Perceptions
We are all familiar with how important first impressions are, that instant set of judgements we all subconsciously make. We all understand that things like what people wear and how they apply make-up will also force impressions. There are broader truths that have been proven in previous studies, that tall people earn more money than their shorter colleagues, or that executives who look powerful tend to be the bosses of more profitable companies. But there are also those subliminal reactions, how we unwittingly apply them in the real world makes a difference too… In 1996 one remarkable study showed that it was possible to predict, based on their graduation photos from West Point and looking for dominant features, who would rise to the rank of General 20 years later. This happens in an environment which you might think of as the ultimate meritocracy, where it would talent and ability that sees you rise to the top… not simply a jutting jawline and an intense look.
But what about hair loss? Without doubt it can be a devastating discovery, to realise you are losing your hair. It can seriously affect your self-confidence, but should it?
How Are Bald Heads Viewed?
It seems a strange question for a formal research study, maybe because it feels like a question we all know the answer to. While there have been some studies in the past the 2012 research asked original questions and threw up some interesting results. The research team asked 3 questions aimed at establishing exactly how the same men were perceived with hair, with thinning hair, and with a shaved head. The shaved head turned out to be perceived as taller, stronger and more dominant. Excellent news we thought. Even balanced against being seen as 4 years older than their equivalent picture with hair, and being seen as slightly less attractive, we considered that a fair trade.
HIS Hair Clinic
We found a great quote from 1987, attributed to a man called Synott. He said of men who shave their heads: “They reject an extremely powerful and popular symbol of age and death. Perhaps this choice expresses a transcendence of conventional views of masculinity and life and thus these individuals become symbolically more alive and more virile.”
Synott seems to have perfectly analyzed the 2012 study over 20 years before it was conducted. Our take on it is that we have always seen that ramp in masculinity whenever a scalp micropigmentation (SMP) treatment is completed. But it is always good to have a peer reviewed published study support what you have been saying for years.
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