Toupee or Not Toupee? Social Perceptions of Male Pattern Baldness

The study "Toupee or not Toupee?" investigated social perceptions of male pattern baldness and the use of toupees. It involved 13 men with androgenetic alopecia and a large number of online participants who rated photographs of these men with and without toupees. The results showed that men wearing toupees were perceived as more attractive, with an increase of 0.71 points on a 9-point scale, and slightly healthier, with an increase of 0.20 points. However, self-assurance ratings were not significantly affected by hair status. Women generally gave less favorable ratings than men, particularly for attractiveness. The study concluded that wearing a toupee increases perceived attractiveness, but the effect varies among individuals.