Why is hair so important?

Hair is one of these rather strange features. Potentially, it grows over most of the human body. Among some people, this is considered a bad thing and it must all be shaved off or plucked. Some consider hair so important, it can never be cut. Others hide it away under items of clothing. Still more make a feature of it, cutting and primping it to maintain an immaculate standard of personal grooming. The variations are many. For some, this is tradition born out of necessity. When technology was limited and it was difficult to hone a sharp edge for shaving or forming into scissors for cutting, people elected to value their hair.

Indeed, in many early cultures, long hair was considered a sign of power. Think Samson who lost his power when his hair was cut and you have hair as a symbol of virility. By coincidence, men lose their hair as they age, so a full head of hair is also a sign of youthfulness and vitality. That means a woman looking for a mate would prefer the young hairy man and not the old bald guy unless he was wealthy. In fact, wealth was often a key factor in setting the fashion. The rich could afford the expensive technology of a razor and scissors so they demonstrated their wealth by appearing in public with face, and sometimes, head shaved. In cultures where the old held the power, everyone was required to wear wigs so that there was no discrimination based on the amount of hair. Religion also intrudes with men being required to cover their heads in Sikhism and women in Islam. This complicates the culture of fashion and style by imposing a duty of conformity on the faithful.

In modern times, Western women are not supposed to have body and facial hair. Men's fashion changes with the identity of each generation's role models. Yul Brynner made baldness sexy as the King of Siam. Today we have actors like Patrick Stewart and Terry O'Quinn, sporting stars like Baron Davis, and singers like Seal. Yet the majority of men seem to fear the early loss of hair. This is not to blame them or find fault in any way. It simply reflects the way in which the people in their immediate environment react to hair loss. No matter what the national trend, one or two individuals in the neighborhood can affect the response for better or worse. Local style leaders can approve and accept people for who they are not how they look. Others can impose standards of dress and appearance, mocking all those who fail to live up to their high standards. This makes every decision on hair loss intensely personal and very much wrapped up in how secure people are in their own skins.

For those men who are under pressure to maintain superficial appearances, propecia is the drug of choice. Unlike all the magic products hyped on the internet, this drug has been through the FDA's full testing regime and has emerged with the formal stamp of approval. Propecia is safe and, if started early enough in the hair loss cycle, effective to prevent further loss and stimulate some regrowth. It will maintain steady state for so long as you continue taking it. Hair loss will resume when you stop taking it.