Just Shave It Off: Analyzing Baldness Perceptions and Resistance

February 2021 in “ International journal of men's social and community health ”

Glen Jankowski, Michael Sherwin, Nova Deighton-Smith, Beth T. Bell

baldness androgenic alopecia hair loss body dissatisfaction

TLDR Online forums help understand men's concerns about baldness and show the need for better support that changes how baldness is viewed.

The research "Just Shave It Off" by Leeds Beckett University and York St John University analyzed 260 posts from the top two baldness forums, identifying three themes: baldness as an unattractive and demasculinising condition, societal and female superficiality stigmatizing baldness, and resistance to baldness despair. Despite the distress and stigma associated with baldness, the study found evidence of resistance, offering solace to men dealing with baldness or body dissatisfaction. The researchers concluded that online forums are a crucial tool for understanding men's baldness concerns and the obstacles to discussing them, suggesting the need for independent, professional, and effective baldness support that deconstructs the masculinised and medicalised perception of baldness.

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