Imagine your teeth suddenly falling out as you reach your twenties and thirties. You would understandably be distressed and would certainly seek the attention of a qualified dentist to prevent further decay and correct the loss. No one would question your motivation to correct this cosmetic defect and return your appearance to its original condition.
Hair loss to many men is quite similar. An otherwise young healthy male is suddenly faced with a gradual, yet dramatic change in their appearance for the worse. This change in appearance is progressive and permanent. The dilemma is compounded by the fact that socially and historically it is unmanly for a male to be concerned about his appearance.
Many men suffer tremendous anxiety about their hair loss. They are on one hand depressed about the appearance and stigma of baldness and on the other they are often ashamed to admit that the condition bothers them for fear they would be considered VAIN.
At the onset of hair loss denial is often the first response. A young man sees a change in his hair, the temples are receding or the crown seems a bit thin, but he denies to himself that it could be happening to him. This strategy only works for so long. Sooner or later the thinning increases or a "sensitive" friend points out his increasingly visible scalp at a large social gathering. Every time he talks to someone their eyes seem to travel to his vanishing hairline.
After denial there is usually panic. All the societal implications of baldness start running through the persons head. To be bald you are older, boring, unmanly and lack sex appeal. There are no positive characteristics associated with baldness. The fact that more men in our society do not go into a severe state of depression from hair loss is a great demonstration of the resiliency of the male species.
Depression though, often does occur at the onset of hair loss and in some cases never goes away. The image we see in the mirror can certainly affect our conduct in society. Often young men will not go out and socialize because of their hair loss. Many times their mother or father will bring them toa physician and describe their antisocial behavior and anger at being bald. They will rail at their parents for causing this condition as if their parents had a choice. Often times even their posture will change. Young men will slump and look sullen so they can avoid eye contact with the outside world.
Next comes acceptance. Many men simply accept hair loss as part of the passage of life after all hair loss is a normal genetic trait passed on from generation to generation. There a certainly many handsome masculine individuals who have chosen to accept or simply ignore their hair loss. This is certainly the best and healthiest attitude one can take. Whether we are destined to be short or tall, handsome or comely, athletic or awkward, hairy or bald these are all part of the genetic cards we are dealt and we should accept them.
Well unfortunately not all men are created entirely equal and acceptance of the inevitable is a characteristic that varies dramatically in individuals. Hair loss is not something we are born with, it happens later in life after we have gotten use to seeing ourselves a certain way. Even the term hair LOSS. We LOST something we had, that is the problem! Our hair is the frame of our face, just like a attractive frame and matting compliment a picture, our hair compliments the features on our face. And just like that picture, if we take away the frame, the picture appears plainer and less attractive.
This feeling of loss of our appearance is a significant factor why men often DO NOT accept baldness. Dr. Gary Hitzig, a cosmetic surgeon with offices in Long Island and Manhattan has been performing hair restoration surgery for over 21 years. According to Dr. Hitzig, "for every actor, model or politician I have seen for consultation about hair loss, I have seen hundreds of very ordinary men who typically are not very vain or concerned about the appearance in general but can not accept going bald." Age also is not a factor. Although generally a young man suffers going bald more than a mature male in his fifties or sixties, older men will still feel their hair loss has unfairly aged them. They don't want to change their appearance but rather restore it to a fairer picture of who they are.
Finally, we come to action. What to do about our hair loss. Continue to go bald and accept it as normal and natural. Unquestionably this is the healthiest solution. Hair loss is a natural, genetic function, it is not a disease and does not directly affect our physical or psychological makeup. Some men go so far as to embrace baldness. They wear it as a badge of honor, proudly proclaiming I am Bald and Proud. The Bald Headed Men's Club of America, in Moorehead, N.C. has member's from around the world who correspond and get together to support hair loss as a mature, sexy, virile appearance that society should look upon with admiration . Most men deal with hair loss as inevitable and natural and move on with their lives and careers. Appearance is comprised of many aspects, not the least of which is our personality and intelligence. A good personality and interesting mind have more of an influence on our attractiveness than any physical characteristic .
According to Dr. Hitzig, "this logic in my experience is little solace for a twenty year old male facing a life of being BALD! When consulting with patients I am always first concerned with their motivation. If a young man is looking to restore his hair so he can feel better about himself and has a reasonable expectation of the result I can achieve then he is a good candidate for hair restoration surgery. If on the other hand the prospective patient feels that having hair will make him more popular and desirable to the opposite sex, or that his hair will help him succeed in business and life, I will discourage this person from undergoing permanent hair restoration surgery and rather encourage counseling and a more temporary hair replacement solution."
Dr. Hitzig should know how his patients feel, he began losing his hair at 19 years of age and had his first hair transplant while still attending medical school at the age of 23. Today, Dr. Hitzig and his associates exclusively perform hair restoration surgery. In the last five years hair transplant surgery has become the number one form of cosmetic surgery performed on men. In 1994, according to statistics from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, 197,276 hair restoration procedures were performed.
"Just as hair loss is not the cause for all your problems, it is also not the cure" states Dr. Hitzig. For individuals to succeed socially and professionally it is much more important to have personality, intelligence and strong character than a fuller hairline. Hair can improve our appearance and self-image but only strong character and motivation can help us to succeed in life. It is important that when we look into the mirror for answers to our problems we should look deeper then the surface for the solutions.
