Will Baldness Help You Get Ahead In Business?

According to new research which backs previous studies, bald men could be seen as more dominant and stronger qualities that could help them succeed in the business world. So could your hair loss actually help you get ahead?

Shaved heads: more masculine?

Research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in America found that men with hairless scalps were rated as more dominant, taller and stronger in two separate studies. Pictures of men whose hair had been digitally removed were perceived as taller, stronger and more dominant than in photos of their authentic selves with hair.

Researcher Albert Mannes suggested that the link between shaved heads and business dominance stems from cultural associations: “Shaved heads are often found on men in traditionally masculine professions, so dominance may emerge through stereotypical associations with these figures.” Continues below.



 

Is bald better for business?

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon

In support of Mannes’ research, there are a growing number of bald men who have reached the very top levels of their business: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs Lloyd Blankfein, and co-founder of Netscape Communications, Marc Andreessen to name just a few.

This could be conversely linked: the stress of high-level jobs could be contributing to hair loss, as has been previously shown. But Mannes believes that hair loss is a cause of success, not an effect: he was inspired to conduct his research after noticing people’s changed reaction after he shaved his own head in his early 30s.

The scientist said that people treated him with more deference. He added, “Perceptions about leadership and related traits can emerge from peculiar characteristics that aren’t really related to leadership at all”.

Competing in the jobs market

The research also noted that men experiencing natural male pattern hair loss may improve their interpersonal standing by shaving their hair fully, rather than letting it thin naturally. Mannes concluded, “The counterintuitive prescription of this research to men experiencing Male Pattern Baldness is to shave their heads.”

However, Mannes’ recommendations contradict some previous studies. Dr William Rassman, a hair transplant surgeon, has previously claimed that men experiencing hair loss are at a disadvantage when it comes to getting jobs, arguing: “The competitive marketplace tends to favour people with hair”. We have also previously reported on the correlation whereby national leaders, in both the UK and the USA, are apparently more likely to succeed with the voters if they have hair. Mannes’ directly psychological studies seem to reflect a different side of baldness association.

If your thinning hair is making you less confident than the balding business tycoons, and you would prefer to save, rather than shave, your hair, there are medically-proven hair loss treatments available to combat the signs of Male Pattern Baldness. You can seek advice from a hair loss specialist, who will be able to give you a diagnosis and a fully bespoke treatment programme to suit your needs.