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The Top 5 Reasons Bald is Better!

Patrick Stewart. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Jason Statham. What do all of these people have in common? They’re all fantastically famous movie stars, they’re all attractive, and, oh yes – they’re all bald.

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If these handsome and hairless men aren’t enough to convince you that bald is better, perhaps you’d like to investigate the range of medical options for balding men. You could undergo hair transplant surgery – at the risk skin irritation, infection, and having a scalp that looks less like a head of hair and more like a sparsely attended birthday party. Or, how about the procedure known as scalp reduction? That’s when the doctor removes chunks of your hairless scalp and replaces it with follicle friendly pieces of skin. Perhaps you would prefer a simple medication to re-grow your hair? Watch out – drugs for baldness are designed to attack the hormone testosterone, and side effects can include severe skin irritation, risk of fast-growing prostate cancer, and loss of sexual function.

If head implants, skin surgery, or accidentally giving yourself cancer for the sake of vanity don’t sound appealing, here’s a better option – learn to love the (hairless) skin you’re in! Here are five reasons why bald is better:

1. Bald is Better in Bed

We now know that high testosterone levels are not necessarily a predictor of baldness, but researchers have found a definite correlation between the two. Men who do not produce testosterone do not go bald, so every time you see that shiny spot atop your head, remember that being bald is part of being a man. Plus, women love it.

Less hair means more skin, and skin-to-skin contact increases sexual arousal in women by prompting her body to release a hormone called oxytocin. Also known as the “cuddle hormone,” oxytocin sensitizes erogenous areas of the body, making a woman eager to engage in foreplay. Having a bald head in the bedroom means more places to touch, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that baldness is associated with masculinity – just look at action stars like Bruce Willis, Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson. What woman would say no to more oxytocin in her bloodstream plus a Bruce Willis look-a-like in her bed?

2. A Lower Risk of Cancer

A 2010 study by the University of Washington School of Medicine found that men who go bald by the age of 30 may be less likely to develop prostate cancer. That’s right – being bald could lower your risk of cancer. The study found that men who had started to lose their hair before the age of 30 saw a cancer reduction risk of up to 45 percent.

This study was quite surprising, and much research has found just the opposite – that bald men are actually more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The University of Washington study, however, honed into the fact that the high levels of testosterone linked with male hair loss also act as a preventative force against prostate cancer, especially in younger men. So good news all around – this study means less evidence that baldness leads to cancer, and more reason to think that being bald may be good for preventing the disease.

3. No Hair

Well, duh. This one seems obvious, but when you think about it, having no hair is great – it means less time in shower, less money spent on water bills, no more harsh chemicals from daily shampoo use, and no more haircuts. Best of all, no hair means no dandruff.

Dandruff refers to excessive flakes of dead skin created on the scalp and distributed through the hair. It’s a condition that’s more annoying than unhealthy, but plenty of sufferers would still jump at the chance to end the itches and rashes that may accompany dandruff. Because dandruff affects the scalp rather than the hair, being bald is not an instant fix for the condition, but it certainly helps – scrubbing the scalp becomes easy with no hair upon it, and without the potential for oily hair irritating and producing more dead skin cells, baldness means a happier, healthier head.

4. Keeping Up Appearances

Bald men are stronger, taller, and more dominant – at least, that’s what people perceive. A researcher from the University of Pennsylvania did a study in which he showed participants pictures of bald and non-bald men, then asked them to rate the men in different categories based on just their photos. Overwhelmingly, the participants rated the bald men higher in terms of strength and dominance. Participants even assumed that the bald men were taller!

This study bodes well for the bald in lots of ways. The benefits of appearing dominant and strong can lead to respect, camaraderie with other men, and even success in business. It just goes to show that even though you’ve lost your hair, there might be a whole world of advantages to gain.

5. Because You Love Your Dad

There’s really only one determining factor in whether or not you will be bald – your family. Genetics, the same reason you’ve got blue eyes and long calves, is also responsible for when and where you go bald. These genes can come from the father as well as the maternal grandfather. In fact, because the genetic marker for baldness is neither dominant nor recessive, but rather what is known as an additive gene, receiving this chromosomal variation from both mom and pop means a 6.1 percent higher chance of going bald.

And that’s not a bad thing. For better and for worse, the genetics of our parents shape us into wonderfully individual people, and baldness is just one part of that. So if you love your height, or your muscular arms, or that way you can grow a perfect beard, then go ahead and love your beautifully bald head, too.

Does my health insurance plan cover hair transplant surgery?

If, even after reading this blog post, you’ve decided that the Dwayne Johson-esque bald look just isn’t for you, there are options available. Hair transplant surgery is a popular option for people looking to cover their bald spots, but be prepared to splurge a hefty sum for a full head of hair. In the US, for example, the cost of undergoing hair transplant surgery ranges from anywhere between USD 4,000 to USD 15,000!

It therefore comes as no surprise that many of our clients ask, “Does my health insurance plan cover hair transplant surgery?” Well, the simple answer to this question is no. This is because hair transplant surgery is something that people choose to have for cosmetic purposes; health insurance companies simply don’t consider it a medically necessary procedure. In insurance terms, cosmetic procedures will in most cases be classed as a health insurance exclusion.

To have a chat about your insurance or healthcare options, contact our expert team today.