Will public attitudes towards baldness change relatively soon?

[HairMagician]

tl;dr/short version: Will societies attitudes towards baldness chnge for the better, and is there anything we can do to help bring this change?

Long version:

We know there is a stigma (it is socially acceptable to mock baldness). We also know, while not the end of our lives, hair loss sucks and can make certain aspects of life more difficult. I've noticed, along with others, people seem to be going bald MUCH younger nowadays than in the past. This may be a fallacy though, because when us young balders begin losing our hair (especially those in their teens) we are on the lookout for other balding people and tend to spot them.

Anyway, if it is becoming more common for young men to go bald, do you think that will change public attitudes towards baldness? If not, is there anything we can collectively do to help change attitudes? I just blow it off if someone gives me **** (even though it hurts inside). When I do that, that person wont give me **** because he wanted a reaction from me which he/she didn't get. What about dating though? Sure we can be successful there, but it feels like we must work harder. Even more importantly, what about work discrimination? I do feel we are discriminated against in the work force, and I recall a study that proved this (I will try to find it).

 

[VeprSuper]

I think change is more likely outside the US. Things are pretty psychotic in this country now regarding aesthetics.

 

[swingline747]

Nope, because balding will always be a sign of aging and loss of attractiveness.
I was putting my minoxidil in my hair this morning and saw SOOOOOO many hairs on my hands I wanted to cry. I threw my comb accross the bathroom. My GF tries to tell me my brother is losing his hair but thats not happening.
If we ourselves see it so bad why should anyone else see it differently.
I mean in the middle ages it was seen as godly and intelligent but then again fat chicks were hot, soooooo do you see fat chick lust coming back?

Its a sucky *** feeling knowing I spend SOOOO much time in the gym and working to only get eyes by fat chicks now. Im at that stage now where girls look away when I try to make my normal eye contact. This is one of those mornings I wish I had an aneurysm in my sleep

 

[zzzzz]

what do you mean public attitudes... balding is ugly and that is not a societal construct its female instinct

 

[mikeyt311]

answer is no.

 

[TheHandsomeLurker]

Absolutely there is something you can do to impact societal perceptions of balding.

1) Shave your head
2) Learn how to be confident and personable
3) Get in great physical shape.

The problem isn't that hair loss implies some intrinsic loss of attractiveness, but how so many men with thinning hair act. If a generation of men with male pattern baldness in mass acted with confidence and dressed well and were charming, societal perceptions would perceive that.

And no, "bald is ugly" is not any intrinsic reaction, because if it were, there would be no women who liked bald men, which is clearly false. One of my female friends was seeing a guy who she described as "balding in a totally hot way." You know what way that was? The confident, personable way, in which he didn't let his hair loss make him undesirable.

 

[uncomfortable man]

I haven't noticed a trend of men balding earlier. From what I see, young balders are still a minority. Mostly old bald men where I am, California.

Has there ever been a time in history where being bald was "popular"? I don't think there ever was. More tolerated? Yes, but never to the point of preference. We've been trying to combat baldness since the dawn for a reason. Is baldness inherently ugly? Perhaps, but does that constitute treating someone as a subhuman? I believe not. We are the unfortunate ones who were born into this time and place with this condition that we can't control subjugated to an aesthetic underclass where we are subjected to descrimination, prejudice and ridicule. It is an injustice that persists everyday yet is constantly mocked and downplayed.

There are sooo many messages, strong messages that can't be misconstrued that tell all young balders that they are inferior, irrelevant and unwanted. We have such an uphill battle against a public perception that is so stacked against us to achieve some sembalance of identity and self worth. It can be so easy to give up and believe the persistent messages we receive that tell us we are worthless losers. How do young bald men combat all of the negativity directed at them?

 

[swingline747]

Absolutely there is something you can do to impact societal perceptions of balding.

1) Shave your head
2) Learn how to be confident and personable
3) Get in great physical shape.

The problem isn't that hair loss implies some intrinsic loss of attractiveness, but how so many men with thinning hair act. If a generation of men with male pattern baldness in mass acted with confidence and dressed well and were charming, societal perceptions would perceive that.

And no, "bald is ugly" is not any intrinsic reaction, because if it were, there would be no women who liked bald men, which is clearly false. One of my female friends was seeing a guy who she described as "balding in a totally hot way." You know what way that was? The confident, personable way, in which he didn't let his hair loss make him undesirable.

Shaved my head for 2 years... I am in GREAT shape and dress VERY nice. You know what, I got TWO complements.... FROM GUYS! Every woman who saw me with a shaved head sighed relief to my face when I grew what little hair I have back. They told me to my face I am not attractive with a shaved head....... SOOOOOOOO your theory about hey be confident, great shape and dress nice and alls good is HORSE ****. Just letting you know because, you know, I LIVED THROUGH IT.

Men feel the way they do about balding because of how society and "atttractive" women react to them, NOT the other way around. This is not the chicken and the egg. Balding is seen as sick, old, ugly and weak. Hair is seen as strong, young, verile and hot.

I took my brother out to dinner and drinks this weekend for helping me at one of my rentals. There is a waitress who is very friendly with me and my GF. As soon as I told her "this is my brother" i got the usual (wide eyed) "thats YOUR brother".

I ONLY started getting that response when I started balding. Prior to that I never got that reaction but the this time hurt as much as the first. I sat there listening to him talk about the girls hes been fooling around with, the 19 year old, etc etc..... Meanwhile my girlfriend gets fatter and fatter and I can no longer gets attention from anything that isnt fat or has 3 kids.... cause she needs a new dad for 2 of them.

you know what working out and hard work gets you..... MORE HARD WORK.
I work my *** off at the gym and I STILL got better chicks when I had hair.

 

[resu]

You know when you hit puberty and you grow a little mustache and everyone laughs and comments on it? Same thing with baldness, it will never change.

 

[I.D WALKER]

While reflecting upon the external/internal disapproval received or felt by those of us unlucky enough to be afflicted with the "baldness" gene and not to mention all the ignorant banter and unfair ridicule that seems to naturally ensue, I can't help but wonder what the world would like for a bald man if baldness was not so common. I mean consider a world where only say a mere 7% of the world's humans were afflicted with M.P.B.? We have it rough already and we bald males are the present majority, but if M.P.B. were a dramatically much rarer occurrence imagine how much rougher trouble/prejudice we vastly poorer fellows would run into. I don't know how much of a cozy paradox we can endeavor to extrapolate from this fantastic scenario, perhaps some times I'm just selfishly relieved that I'm in the 70% percentile versus the 7%. My personal extrapolation; Strength in numbers shows up in even the most low places.

 

[Ori83]

you will not change how people look at bald men, just as you cant change how people look at red-headed men, or handicapped men, or short men, people are people, they will forever bring down others in order to feel better about themselves.... there is nothing you can actually do other then accept it or try to fight it.... the prior is less expensive tho ;]

 

[SayifDoit]

I wonder what the percentage is for balding guys in their 20's or late teens, seriously...
I could imagine its pretty lowrotest:

 

[hellouser]

you will not change how people look at bald men, just as you cant change how people look at red-headed men, or handicapped men, or short men, people are people, they will forever bring down others in order to feel better about themselves.... there is nothing you can actually do other then accept it or try to fight it.... the prior is less expensive tho ;]

I never understood and still dont, the belittlement of red headed people... its just a colour and there's nothing wrong with it. Dafuq is wrong with society?

 

[swingline747]

While reflecting upon the external/internal disapproval received or felt by those of us unlucky enough to be afflicted with the "baldness" gene and not to mention all the ignorant banter and unfair ridicule that seems to naturally ensue, I can't help but wonder what the world would like for a bald man if baldness was not so common. I mean consider a world where only say a mere 7% of the world's humans were afflicted with M.P.B.? We have it rough already and we bald males are the present majority, but if M.P.B. were a dramatically much rarer occurrence imagine how much rougher trouble/prejudice we vastly poorer fellows would run into. I don't know how much of a cozy paradox we can endeavor to extrapolate from this fantastic scenario, perhaps some times I'm just selfishly relieved that I'm in the 70% percentile versus the 7%. My personal extrapolation; Strength in numbers shows up in even the most low places.

you know I hear this stat about a majority of men losing their hair by 30 but WHERE ARE THEY!
In the gym, the balds are the minority
In MY LIFE they are the minority as all my friends and even brother have full heads of hair
In my job more guys have hair than not.
WHERE are these stats coming from?!

Sorry if you have baldness in your family you should NOT be allowed to breed. I look at my idiot father with his dumb bald head and curse him for thinking it was a good idea to pass that on.
It was pure selfishness. And Honestly he should feel the same way towards his father as well.
Bald men knock women up because they feel like it anchors them and they know they landed the best they can and cant let it get away.
Its nothing but selfishness.

 

[hellouser]

Sorry if you have baldness in your family you should NOT be allowed to breed. I look at my idiot father with his dumb bald head and curse him for thinking it was a good idea to pass that on.
It was pure selfishness. And Honestly he should feel the same way towards his father as well.
Bald men knock women up because they feel like it anchors them and they know they landed the best they can and cant let it get away.
Its nothing but selfishness.

That is ridiculous logic.

 

[swingline747]

That is ridiculous logic.

K maybe not being allowed is harsh.... but they should def get a second opinion. PREF MINE!

 

[hellouser]

K maybe not being allowed is harsh.... but they should def get a second opinion. PREF MINE!

How would your father get your opinion before you were born? Would you rather not have been born at all?

I'll admit my life has become VERY sh*tty in the last 3 years, but there are moments of awesome where I do enjoy life.

 

[swingline747]

Would you rather not have been born at all?

yes many days I do feel that way.
Thats also an oxy moron question since if I was never born, I would never know what I was missing, which is NOT much.
NOBODY in my family gene pool should have procreated. This is why me and my brother have decided to not have kids. Even my sis never wanted kids but ended up having one.

 

[resu]

Some guys have bald parents (including the mother) and they don't bald, it can skip generations.

 

[hellouser]

Some guys have bald parents (including the mother) and they don't bald, it can skip generations.

Other guys have nobody thats bald in their family and they STILL get fvcked by this disease. It can skip MANY generations.