3 Psychological Effects of Hair Loss

I didn't realize I had androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness) until I turned nineteen years old. One day, I pulled my lengthy hair back to reveal what was a receding hairline, and I was immediately hit with a reality that I wasn't ready to face. The psychological effects of hair loss had never been brought to my attention, but I was clear what they were now. Hair loss affects us just as much mentally as physically, for we become stressed, non-confident, and low in self esteem.

Hair loss can take it's toll on individuals by causing stress. No one wants to lose hair, and it becomes a reason for depression and anxiety for many who experience it. Many stress and worry about what others will think of them when they notice their thinning hair or a receding hairline. The truth is that society has a stigma towards losing hair, and it isn't something anyone really wants to come face to face with. It can disrupt one's self-image and cause them to become depressed for a variety of reasons. The simple fact that it is an indicator of aging causes depression in those who have a difficult time dealing with aging. The balding process is not a pleasant experience, and it makes life more stressful.

Aside from the stress, individuals lose confidence in themselves when dealing with hair loss. Men who lose hair find it more difficult to approach women, and women fear criticism from both sexes. Men with full heads of hair are considered better looking than those with bald spots or thin hair, and the same is true for women. Especially for women, who traditionally do not experience much hair loss, thinning hair can destroy their confidence. Social interactions become much more difficult to deal with because individuals who experience it sometimes feel rejected or different. Their confidence is lowered and their hair gives them mental discomfort.

Finally, hair loss does damage to one's self esteem. Not everyone thins out or goes bald, and when those who do compare themselves with those who don't, they feel bad about themselves. They ask themselves the question - why me? Good hair is often associated with youth and beauty, and men and women who experience balding or thinning do not feel as young or good-looking as they once did. Hair loss hurts ones self-image and leaves them with withering self-esteem.

Hair loss is stressful and hurtful to both one's confidence and self-esteem. I hate aging, and my hair thinning made the fact that I am more real than ever. Going through college, I had to witness the many guys with full heads of hair while I was thinning out, and I never thought I could compete with them (as far as girls were concerned anyways). I felt bad about myself and wondered why I had been stuck with such bad genes. I'm short, of mixed race, and my hair is thinning and receding. What else could I ask for? People always dwell on the physical aspects of hair loss, but it's clear that hair loss has just as big an impact on the mind as the body.

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