Bald Gorrillas Make Better Partners

Hair loss in the animal kingdom can be considered a point of pride. In some primate groups hair loss signifies status and maturity to the group. Female Gorillas have been seen to favour the member of the social group that has the largest forehead as a result of hair loss and as a result many male gorillas have been seen to encourage hair loss by rubbing their foreheads against abrasive surfaces. This trend seems to correlate with responses to baldness from humans.

One study that was conducted revealed that humans saw bald men as older than men with a full head of hair. Bald men and bearded men were considered more aggressive and as a result were considered better sexual partners but were also considered to have less social maturity. The report concluded that bald men could represent enhanced social status with a reduced physical threat and as a result they are more likely to secure reproductive partners.

The social response to baldness is extremely varied between men and women. Baldness in men is widely accepted but because of its rarity baldness in women causes a great deal of anxiety. Many women celebrities have opted to shave their heads and baldness has become the preferred choices for some women. Singers Sinead O'Conner, Britney Spears and Meshell Ndegeocello have all opted to shave their heads.

Many celebrities have also lost their hair due to chemotherapy and other treatments. Kylie and Gail Porter are other women that have famously become bald and used their celebrity to try and reduced the stigma attached to female baldness.

Baldness is surrounded by many myths and old wives tales and it can be difficult to differentiate between the fact and fiction. The most common folklore is that bald men are more virile than men with a full complement of hair. This idea has not been fully endorsed by scientists but neither has it been disproved. Scientists agree that baldness is strongly related to the levels of testosterone and DHT in the person. Bald men are therefore more likely to have higher levels of testosterone and as the theory follows that they therefore have a greater sex drive. However sex drive is determined by a great deal of factors.

Another commonly held belief is that frequent masturbation can cause baldness. Scientists believe that frequent ejaculation can cause a raised or lowered level of plasma testosterone but there is little credible evidence to suggest that this results in baldness. The belief that sexual activity has an effect on the likelihood of becoming bald is viewed with scepticism.

Many believe that sexual frustration can cause baldness. The truth is that stress can be a contributing factor in hair loss and because sex is a recognised method of reducing stress lack of it can result in higher levels of hair loss. Stress related baldness only occurs in genetically susceptible people. The military have conducted tests into the effect of sleep deprivation and have found that it is unlikely to raise the levels of DHT (which causes male pattern baldness). Therefore lack of sleep is not likely to affect the likelihood of becoming bald.