TLDR Men are increasingly removing body hair for looks and cleanliness, and while hair loss can cause distress, it doesn't affect their self-esteem as much as it does in women.
The document from April 2016 explores the reasons and psychological effects of hair removal and hair loss in men. It reveals a trend of men preferring less body hair and more head hair, with a study of 200 heterosexual males showing increased participation in depilation, particularly of the chest, abdomen, armpits, and upper legs, using methods like shaving, waxing, and laser treatments. Motivations for hair removal include improving appearance, enhancing muscular definition, increasing sex appeal, and cleanliness. Male pattern baldness is associated with distress and lowered self-esteem, but men are noted to have more grooming flexibility than women and do not tie their self-concept as closely to hair. The document concludes that male grooming, including hair removal and managing hair loss, is becoming more recognized in the context of male body image and self-presentation, but does not impact men's self-consciousness or body shame to the same extent as it does in women.
74 citations,
January 1998 in “Dermatology” Men who think they are losing hair feel worse about themselves, especially if they are younger.
192 citations,
June 1992 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Hair loss can cause low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression in men.
68 citations,
February 1990 in “Journal of Applied Social Psychology” Bald men are often viewed more negatively and as older than they really are.
April 2016 in “Journal of Aesthetic Nursing” Men are increasingly removing body hair for looks and cleanliness, and while hair loss can cause distress, it doesn't affect their self-esteem as much as it does in women.
December 2015 in “Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis” A patient experienced long-lasting hair loss after using acitretin for psoriasis.
Alopecia areata, a type of hair loss, may be passed through T cells and has genetic links, while treatments vary in effectiveness. Male pattern baldness can be treated with finasteride and is influenced by androgens in hair follicles.
1 citations,
January 2009 in “Elsevier eBooks” The chapter explains why and how women remove unwanted hair, comparing methods like shaving and waxing.
Medical Hair Restoration added a non-surgical hair therapy program to help people with early hair loss.
23 citations,
April 2006 in “Skin Research and Technology” The study concluded that a special imaging technique showed women with hair loss have slower hair growth and a faulty hair replacement cycle.
57 citations,
June 1999 in “Dermatologic surgery” Laser hair removal was a significant new method for getting rid of unwanted hair in 1999.
