Hair Loss Library - The Social Dimension of Hair Loss

from www.health-library.com

Hair plays a significant role in our life. Another person's hair is one of the first characteristics we notice upon meeting. Our own hair is one of the first and last things we attend to before a meeting or a social engagement. Hair disorder, especially when severe, often profoundly affects the lives of those afflicted. Severe hair loss evokes not only cosmetic concerns but may also evoke feelings of vulnerability (nakedness), loss of self-esteem, alterations in self-image, and, perhaps, even self-identity.

In 1992, researchers at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, surveyed 145 men, and found that 84 percent of the balding men were preoccupied with their loss. They described themselves as filled with self-consciousness, helplessness, and envy of men with full heads of hair. Single men and woman who had begun losing hair in their early twenties were more likely to suffer from extremely low self-esteem.

While stressful, balding isn't the end of the world. Although the men reported glancing in the mirror constantly and wearing hats even in warm weather, they manage to make it through their daily lives without much problem. For some it even sparked self-improvement tactics like fiddling with hair styles, working out more, and dressing better.

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