What Do Women Really Think About Bald Men?

There are a lot of hunk bald guys out there - Jason Statham, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson - but are women attracted to them because of their looks, or is there more to it? One of the first questions guys might ask when they start to lose their hair is, "Will my current partner or future partner care if I'm bald?"

This concern is especially troubling for young guys who are single and might have visions of a life of loneliness and celibacy. Going bald might be seen as an 'older guy issue'. Even if you’re married to the love of your life, you still want to be physically desirable. 

It’s tough to not care about the way we look. There’s no denying that hair and good looks matter in society. How we look on the outside plays a substantial role in our social circle and our careers.

Sadly, we tend to make assumptions about each other’s internal characteristics (their personality, qualities, and flaws) based on their outward appearance.

Research tells us that physical attractiveness makes people think we have desirable attributes [1]. We tend to make evaluations of other people in the first minutes (or even seconds) after meeting them. For instance, we might assume that a tall person is athletic or someone with a nice smile is confident.

And these days, many of our interactions with other people occur online. We work, socialise, and even date online. It’s not weird to interact with people several times before you meet them in real life, or interact with them online solely.

That means it’s really easy for someone to judge you before they ever hear a word out of their mouth. And that might include noticing your baldness.

For a lot of guys, the judgement that comes with hair loss is also their first real experience with personal insecurity. Society doesn’t hold men to the same high beauty standards as women (though that’s changing), so guys don’t grow up in a world where every physical flaw is a big deal.

One study found that men who went bald struggled more with self-esteem, showing how strongly what people say about bald men can affect mental health. There are huge psychological effects of going bald, and it can have damaging psychological consequences [2].

Losing one’s hair can affect a person’s self-esteem and even trigger psychological disorders like body dysmorphia [3], which can trigger high levels of stress, especially around other people.

Some guys put on a brave face and try to own their hair loss, but deep down they might think being bald makes them less attractive. It could eat away at them, affecting their work, personal relationships, and self-esteem. Some men even change their career paths to avoid running into people every day or so they can wear a hat. Others find ways to cope, like growing facial hair or changing how they style their hair.

And some guys are so worried their hair loss will prevent them from finding love that they’ve resorted to “hat-fishing” – the practice of hiding one’s hair loss in online dating profiles (usually with a hat) so potential partners don’t see their thinning or balding parts. They think they have better chances of finding a partner with a clever lie of omission.

Statistically, most men (and some women) will experience hair loss at some point in their life. Research finds that two-thirds of men will experience hair loss by age 35, and 85% of men will experience significantly thinning hair by age 50. 25% of men start losing some hair before age 21 [4].

If hair loss is something nearly all men have to deal with at some point, why is hair loss such a taboo topic? Why are men ashamed of their wispy hair and shiny heads? Why do they grow it long, comb it creatively, and develop an affinity for hats? Why are they ashamed to admit they need a hair loss treatment?

Because hair is associated with youth. There’s an apparent connection between hair loss and age: Older guys are more likely to lose their hair. So when a younger guy's locks begin to fade, there’s a perception that he’s sick or lost his youth. 

And traditionally, undesirable physical characteristics – like baldness – are associated with undesirable inner characteristics, like weakness, impotence, and frailty. Newer research challenges this, showing baldness is often associated with masculinity and leadership traits. In fact, a new study revealed that shaved heads gave men the confidence to pull off a stronger, more dominant appearance [6].

“Studies have shown baldness in men is seen as a non-threatening form of social dominance,” says Dr. Frank Muscarella from Barry University in Florida.

Researchers in the study asked women to rate photos of bald men and men with full heads of hair, to decide on how agreeable, old, and dominant they appeared. Bald men were perceived to be about a year older than their actual age, slightly more agreeable, more masculine, far more dominant, and to have greater leadership skills. Race makes no difference.

They repeated the study, this time showing participants the same faces but with hair digitally removed (so the only variable is the hair). They found the same results: They perceived bald guys as more dominant, confident, stronger, masculine, and – this is interesting – stronger.

That sends a pretty clear message: Our tendency to associate positive internal traits with physical features can work in favour of bald guys because many people associate baldness with more assertive qualities.

If you were to go around to everyone in your life and ask them if losing hair makes you less attractive, of course, they'd say no.

Why? Because they don’t want to hurt your feelings. No one is going to say, “Sorry bro, no one likes bald heads. You’ll probably never get another date again.” Anecdotal evidence doesn’t help here.

So we have to look at the data.

Some polls have found that around 76% of individuals claim they either don’t care about hair loss or prefer a bald man [5].

Unsurprisingly, many of the people polled said that baldness isn’t an excuse for poor grooming. A good haircut that doesn’t try to hide thinning hair, a smart trim, or a clean shave are essential. Most people are definitely turned off by elaborate hairstyles that try to mask hair loss.

When researchers, during another study [7], had people rate the attractiveness of pictures of men, a full head of hair rarely made the list. What did they find most attractive?

Confidence.

People find the appearance of confidence more important than a man’s hair situation.

(It’s interesting that people found confidence – an internal characteristic – the most attractive quality. We’ll come back to this in a minute.)

Some men make the mistake of assuming that the reasons they’re attracted to other people are the same reasons those people are attracted to them. For instance, you may be willing to have sex with someone based on their appearance alone, but they may not be like that.

Nevertheless, it’s true that some people care dearly about a man’s hair – especially young people. There's a saying that many people make “hair contact before eye contact.” That is, they check out a man’s hair before looking at anything else.

So the truth is, that while some people will dismiss you because of your hair loss, most won’t.

sIt’s important to remember that people are rarely turned on or off by a single quality.

Whether you’re attracted to someone or not depends on the whole picture. One undesirable characteristic doesn’t disqualify you from the dating pool.

For instance, if asked, someone might say they aren't attracted to broad noses. But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t date, be intimate, or marry a guy with a broad nose. The nose by itself isn’t their cup of tea, but they may find themselves attracted to the person attached to that nose because he has other characteristics they find desirable. So even if you’re interested in someone who specifically mentioned they don't like thin hair or a bald head, that doesn’t mean they'll never return your affection. You may have other qualities they find desirable that make you cumulatively more attractive to them.

Confidence is especially important. People can pick up on other people's slightest insecurities. They’re willing to forgive many physical flaws if they think you carry them confidently, but if a physical flaw appears to bother you, it will bother them too. In many cases, a person subtly rejects a guy not because of his hair situation, but because he seems sensitive about it.

Look at men like Jason Statham, Vin Diesel, or Terry Crews. These are considered some of the most attractive bald men in the world, but if you look at their features closely, you’ll see little things many people would find undesirable.

Why are they considered so attractive? Because they’re confident with their appearance, which is completely within your control. (They’re also talented and fit - two other qualities you can influence in yourself.)

What does this mean for you?

The cure for hair loss may come soon, but in the meantime you can make yourself a more attractive person in a lot of ways. Even if every person in the world declared they didn’t like baldness (which obviously isn’t the case), you can still be attractive. There are plenty of ways to improve your appearance and personality to make yourself the kind of person other people want to be around.

Yes, they do.

Some people don’t like the bald look. Everyone has their taste. However, most people won’t reject you because of your bald head. They just don’t care. Whether you look for hair growth products, go shaved, or experiment with growing facial hair, confidence and personality always win out.

Remember, some people like the bald look or completely bald men, others prefer men with hair. Most people are flexible with what they find attractive and usually willing to evaluate your internal characteristics. Nearly everyone finds a man who owns his look, has the confidence to pull it off and knows how to style his hair (or scalp) well more attractive. With or without hair, women are attracted to personality.

Just remember to groom yourself nicely, style your hair (what's left) and own your situation with pride. It’s fine to take steps to address your hair loss, but don’t try to hide it with a hat or unique styling unless you are doing it to protect your scalp from the sun. Do what makes you feel good. 

If you project confidence, masculinity, charm, humour, and a killer personality, you’ll never have a problem with your love life.

There’s no doubt that hair loss is a big blow to your self-esteem, confidence, and strength. However, you shouldn’t let it stop you from living a full life and achieving your goals.

You have treatment options. Mosh hair loss treatment plans are tailored just for you by a health practitioner to suit your budget and medical needs.