Social Experiment Reveals Importance Of Hair Loss When Dating
A social experiment has revealed that two out of three Malaysian women were more likely to want to date a man with a full head of hair instead of those with hair loss.
The test was conducted by German haircare brand Alpecin using the Paktor dating app.
The company uploaded two identical male profiles onto the app, disclosing the same age, job title and interests. One depicted the man without hairloss, while the other showed his thinning hair - the latter profile received 1,100 less 'right swipes'. Swiping right on the app indicates that the user finds the other person attractive.
The methodology and findings of this social experiment replicate a similar one undertaken on Tinder. Richard King, a 31-year-old from Leeds who had a hair transplant to address his Male Pattern Baldness, uploaded images of himself before and after the op: almost twice as many women wanted to date King based on his post-transplant profile.
It is easy to underestimate how common Male Pattern Baldness is. Around 30 per cent of 30-year-old men are affected by it, a figure which increases to around 50 per cent by the time they hit their fifties.
As psychologist Dr Graham Hole explained, it takes "as little as 13 milliseconds to decide whether you find a face attractive or unattractive", with hair playing a key role in that decision.
The resulting image-based implications of a receding hairline or other signs of genetic hairloss can make dating difficult for men, particularly in certain regions. One study found that two-thirds of Singaporean women would not date a bald man at all. Understandably, with these sorts of attitudes in mind, the hair loss process can often take a heavy emotional toll on those experiencing it.
However, these findings should be taken with a pinch of salt. Hair is obviously not the only thing that women - or men - look for in a spouse, and polls have revealed that the majority of female respondents would not be concerned about their partner balding.
Furthermore, some men have turned their baldness into a statement of confidence and an integral part of their identity - it would be nearly impossible to imagine Vin Diesel without his clean-shaven scalp.
Other dating apps have also dealt with the subject of hairloss among users. Settle For Love encourages its daters to be forthcoming about their insecurities, such as hair loss and excess weight, to create a more realistic and open dating experience which embraces difference.
If thinning hair remains a source of insecurity it may be worth consulting a specialist and exploring hair loss treatment options. Men using these are often aiming for a discreet way to prevent baldness, especially if they are actively dating.
Treatment courses may be based around one or both of the two clinically-proven treatments for Male Pattern Baldness - finasteride 1mg and minoxidil - both of which are MHRA licensed and FDA approved for this purpose.
The first, finasteride 1mg is a tablet, taken once daily, to inhibit a testosterone by-product named DHT.
Topically-applied high strength minoxidil comes in various formulations and is thought to promote hair growth by opening up the potassium channels in the scalp.
These recognised medications are often paired with additional hair growth supporting products, ranging from FDA-cleared low level laser (LLLT) devices to stimulate the follicles, to food supplements.
Whichever option a man decides on when it comes to the intensely personal issue of dealing with hair loss, being comfortable and having self-confidence is key. And, as everyone knows, confidence is an extremely attractive quality!
The test was conducted by German haircare brand Alpecin using the Paktor dating app.
Dating apps and hair loss
The company uploaded two identical male profiles onto the app, disclosing the same age, job title and interests. One depicted the man without hairloss, while the other showed his thinning hair - the latter profile received 1,100 less 'right swipes'. Swiping right on the app indicates that the user finds the other person attractive.
The methodology and findings of this social experiment replicate a similar one undertaken on Tinder. Richard King, a 31-year-old from Leeds who had a hair transplant to address his Male Pattern Baldness, uploaded images of himself before and after the op: almost twice as many women wanted to date King based on his post-transplant profile.
Love is in the hair?
It is easy to underestimate how common Male Pattern Baldness is. Around 30 per cent of 30-year-old men are affected by it, a figure which increases to around 50 per cent by the time they hit their fifties.
As psychologist Dr Graham Hole explained, it takes "as little as 13 milliseconds to decide whether you find a face attractive or unattractive", with hair playing a key role in that decision.
The resulting image-based implications of a receding hairline or other signs of genetic hairloss can make dating difficult for men, particularly in certain regions. One study found that two-thirds of Singaporean women would not date a bald man at all. Understandably, with these sorts of attitudes in mind, the hair loss process can often take a heavy emotional toll on those experiencing it.
However, these findings should be taken with a pinch of salt. Hair is obviously not the only thing that women - or men - look for in a spouse, and polls have revealed that the majority of female respondents would not be concerned about their partner balding.
Furthermore, some men have turned their baldness into a statement of confidence and an integral part of their identity - it would be nearly impossible to imagine Vin Diesel without his clean-shaven scalp.
Other dating apps have also dealt with the subject of hairloss among users. Settle For Love encourages its daters to be forthcoming about their insecurities, such as hair loss and excess weight, to create a more realistic and open dating experience which embraces difference.
Confidence and hair loss
If thinning hair remains a source of insecurity it may be worth consulting a specialist and exploring hair loss treatment options. Men using these are often aiming for a discreet way to prevent baldness, especially if they are actively dating.
Treatment courses may be based around one or both of the two clinically-proven treatments for Male Pattern Baldness - finasteride 1mg and minoxidil - both of which are MHRA licensed and FDA approved for this purpose.
The first, finasteride 1mg is a tablet, taken once daily, to inhibit a testosterone by-product named DHT.
Topically-applied high strength minoxidil comes in various formulations and is thought to promote hair growth by opening up the potassium channels in the scalp.
These recognised medications are often paired with additional hair growth supporting products, ranging from FDA-cleared low level laser (LLLT) devices to stimulate the follicles, to food supplements.
Whichever option a man decides on when it comes to the intensely personal issue of dealing with hair loss, being comfortable and having self-confidence is key. And, as everyone knows, confidence is an extremely attractive quality!
The Belgravia Centre
The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.
View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.
