Most people suffering from hair loss are well aware of the effect it can have on your emotional wellbeing – of course, there are many men who are happy to be bald, but for most of us thinning hair and a receding hairline is at best a reminder of our increasing age.
New research from a team at Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, one of Europe’s most prestigious teaching hospitals has proven what many balding men knew all along: at worst, losing your hair can lead to low self-confidence, mental disorders and impaired quality of life.
Some of the major psychological effects of hair loss on men are outlined here below:
Shame
Men whose hair is thinning are often the targets of teasing from their friends and colleagues. Whilst the majority of men can brazen this out in public, once alone the humiliation and shame sets in. Indeed, the very fact that men feel the need to hide their upset in public can add to the feeling of shame – it is often considered unmanly to be concerned with your appearance, and so men who are upset about losing their hair often feel ashamed to feel that way.
Panic
It might seem unlikely to anyone with a full head of hair, but losing your hair can lead to feelings of panic, about hair loss and how it will affect other aspects of your life and career: some men are concerned they will no longer be attractive to their partner, or that they will be overlooked for promotion at work. Many are concerned that they will be the subject of taunts from their friends, which as we’ve seen above is not an unreasonable fear.
Isolation
Hair loss is a very personal problem and it can feel like no one else quite understands what you’re going through. Although often meant in good spirit, the teasing from other men can increase this feeling of loneliness, and the fear of rejection from women increases it further.
In extreme cases, the combination of all these emotions can lead to depression and anxiety in men with hair loss. Perhaps not surprisingly, hair loss in women causes even more psychological problems – a 1992 study conducted by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology showed that women suffered more mentally and emotionally as a result of hair loss.
If hair loss is getting you down, there are a number of hair restoration treatments available – from topical and oral medications to hair transplant surgery and SMP, book a consultation with a hair loss expert to find out which hair loss treatment is best for you.
