Hair loss, male pattern baldness and hair thinning with age are all totally natural in men of all ages, but especially as they get older. However, just because something is perfectly ordinary and expected, that doesn’t mean everyone copes well with it.
Aging is hard on the body and mind, and hair loss in men is a symbolic loss of youth. It makes some men feel very down and depressed, and it can make others anxious or irritable. Some men become self-conscious about their thinning or balding patch, hiding it with hats or constantly pulling their remaining hair over it. Again, this is all natural behaviour, but it can cause distress and even interfere with the man’s ability to live a normal life.
Aside from the visual aspect of hair loss, which is a stark reminder of one’s age in the mirror, hair loss can bring on feelings of running out of time, and of loss or grief over the experiences of youth. Some men experience it as a loss of potential, while others worry that it will impact their ability to date, leaving them feeling isolated and alone. However it affects the individual, it is safe to say that hair loss can be scary, sad and unpleasant.
While we all experience negative events and things we can’t control in our lives, it is how we deal with them that counts. Some men are able to come out of the other side of the down feeling that hair loss brings on, accept their changed looks and carry on with life. They might not enjoy being bald, and they might still worry about it from time to time, or feel less attractive, but ultimately, it’s a small discomfort in the grand scheme of things.
Another man with exactly the same type of hair loss might find his confidence severely impacted for many years. He may be unable to leave the house without some kind of hat, or with exactly the right amount of baldness-disguising spray on his hair. He might leave an event if it rains, in case his hair becomes limp and exposes his baldness. This is when the symptoms triggered by hair loss become worrying, and it’s time to see a doctor about coping with hair loss.
Alongside the support of a doctor, a man’s best option when faced with hair loss, is to begin to take back control. From shaving it off and accepting it, to a full transplant on the hair transplant Turkey market (a UK based company such as MedAway can advise), and even addressing that nagging feeling of running out of time with a new health and fitness regime, or ticking a few items off one’s bucket list of adventures, it’s entirely possible for a man to move forwards from his perfectly natural, but negative feelings about his hair loss.