UAE Men Would Rather Avoid Baldness Than Live Longer

Not only is the UAE oil-rich and prosperous, it is increasingly becoming a major player on the global stage when it comes to business and innovation, as well as nightlife. As a result, perhaps, it is little wonder that the people of the region take great pride in how they present themselves.

For men, personal appearance and style is critical which could explain why so many column inches are devoted in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to what appears to be something of a hair loss ‘epidemic’. Some reports suggest that it affects around two-thirds of the UAE population.

Now, a study has found that more than half of the men affected by hair loss in the UAE would be willing to shorten their lifespan in return for a full head of hair.

Shorten life to avoid going bald

In response to a YouGov survey in the UAE which asked men “How much time of your life would you be willing to shorten to regain lost hair or to ensure that you will not go bald?”, 13 per cent said three years or more, with a further 42 per cent willing to forego up to a year.

According to Emirates247.com, the survey commissioned by Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo revealed that “a majority of polled men said that hair loss impacted their social lives, especially in the case of men with acute hair loss problems.”

The newspaper said that more than half of the respondents with hair loss claimed that thinning hair leads to psychological and social issues.

In the article, Dubai-based Dermatologist and Hair Restoration Surgeon Dr Hanieh Erdmann is quoted as saying: “Hair loss can alter the way a man looks and makes him look older, too. Men in the UAE put strong emphasis on their physical appearance, and hair loss therefore causes great problems for most men in the UAE.”

Pretty strong words, but they do reflect how a great many men around the world feel about male hair loss. Writing about the subject in The Telegraph, for example, journalist Tom Fordy said that: “No matter how much us regular, down-to-earth men reject the latest trends, the primal desire to attract women is always present, whether it’s a desire we act upon or not.”

Men fear hair loss

Losing your hair is frequently interpreted by men as a sign that they will be less attractive to women even though there are studies that show this isn’t necessarily the case.

In a poll in Psychology Today, only 13 per cent of women said they would be “very upset” if their partner’s hair started thinning. That said, a different poll in 2012 did conclude that while shaven-headed men were perceived as more masculine than those with a full head of hair, they were also considered slightly less attractive.

Many men regain control of their shedding, however, by consulting a hair loss specialist to see what treatment options are available. What they often discover to their delight is that the medical community has invested millions into the subject over the past few decades and that advances in male hair loss treatment mean that men can often stabilise thinning and may even enjoy regrowth.