Good News, Guys: There’s a Huge Scientific Benefit to Being Bald!
Updated: Jul. 07, 2017
Feeling a bit breezy up there? Here's why your baldness could actually be a good thing, according to science.
Mourning the loss of your full head of hair? We have some good news for you! Being bare up there could actually be a huge plus. According to new research, people tend to perceive bald men as more dominant, stronger, and taller than those with hair. (There’s also a scientific reason why shorter men go bald more often!)
In a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, participants rated photos of men with hair and men with shaved heads according to levels of dominance and agreeability. Turns out, the bald men were considered more dominant than their hairy counterparts. Plus, when participants saw pictures of the same men with hair and with their hair digitally removed, the latter were perceived as more dominant, taller, and stronger than they truly were.
What gives? These results suggest that our culture tends to view baldness as a sign of maturity and leadership in men, just like being tall or having a deep voice.
“In U.S. society … shaved heads are often found on men in traditionally masculine professions, so dominance may emerge through stereotypical associations with these figures,” Albert Mannes, lead researcher and now a data scientist for the U.S. government, said.
Mannes’s advice: If age has caused you to start losing your hair to begin with, you might consider shaving your head completely. Doing so could actually boost your credibility with others.
“Instead of spending billions each year trying to reverse or cure their hair loss, the counterintuitive prescription of this research to men experiencing male pattern baldness is to shave their heads,” Mannes said.
Still, we don’t blame you if you’re holding out hope for a full head of hair. If so, these natural hair loss remedies and treatments are definitely worth a try.
