Toupees improved perceived attractiveness, especially by older people, but had little effect on perceived self-assurance and health.
In this study, 13 men with male pattern baldness were rated significantly more attractive and somewhat healthier when wearing a custom-made toupee, with higher attractiveness ratings coming from male judges than female judges.
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March 2019 in “Economic Inquiry” In this study, balding men reported an average willingness to pay around $30,000 to transition from complete baldness to having a full head of hair.
November 2025 in “Research Repository UCD (University College Dublin)” This paper analyzes the representation of baldness in contemporary screen media, arguing that it reflects and perpetuates societal anxieties about masculinity, aging, and power, portraying hair loss as a disorder requiring intervention despite its natural occurrence and lack of health risks.
The abstract indicates that the paper addresses social perceptions of males, but no specific research findings or results are reported.