Myth or truth: Are bald men even more manly than hairy ones?

Although a large portion of the bald people take up their carequice with shiny shaved heads, the truth is that those who are starting to lose their hair are not very happy with this situation, no! By the way, there is a billion dollar industry geared to this audience, offering treatment options like miracle lotions, implants, sprays, wigs and medicines. But why, after all, do the wires fall?

The problem is thinning and thinning hair caused by a combination of genetic and hormonal factors and is directly related to testosterone - the male sex hormone. Because women also produce small amounts of this substance, baldness is not male-only, and they are also prone to baldness.

The legend of the bald

This relationship between the drop of hair and the action of testosterone gave rise to the idea that bald men should then produce higher amounts of male hormone and therefore be more virile than hairy ones. However, theoretically all men - whether bald or not - produce the same amount of this substance and, moreover, it is not the level of testosterone that causes baldness.

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In fact, the process occurs due to the interaction between DHT - a form derived from testosterone - and the androgen receptors present in the hair follicles, which causes the hair to weaken and fall. Thus, the greater the amount of these receptors, the greater the interaction and, of course, the more intense the hair loss, until the hair production of the follicles eventually ceases to occur.

Also, the presence of a large amount of DHT circulating throughout the body also does not necessarily mean that an individual will become bald. This excess of receptors must be present on the scalp. So, until the contrary is scientifically proven, this story that bald men are more macho than hairy ones is a myth.

Trivia About Baldness

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  • One of the first to notice a relationship between male hormones and hair loss was the Greek Hippocrates, who noted that castration prevented baldness in the eunuchs;
  • It was only in the 1940s that the problem was studied in more detail when US anatomist James Hamilton researched the effects of testosterone on hair loss in a pair of twins, one castrated and the other not;
  • It is estimated that 10% of men between 20 and 30 years old suffer from baldness;
  • Of every 10 men under 70 years of age, eight are predisposed as a hereditary factor for balding;
  • According to WHO, 50% of the male population will have some degree of baldness before age 50;
  • Women also produce - albeit much less - testosterone, and it is estimated that 5% of them suffer from the problem;
  • A study by American researchers found that bald people are perceived by others to be more powerful men.