Why are men insecure about this?

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Apparently bald men can be quite attractive to women.

If that's the case then why are so many men insecure about hair loss?

The reason we have bald men is women are attracted to them

I guess it's down to you are used to having it and it disappearing scares you as your self image just went out of your control?

It symbolizes aging and the potential loss of virility that can come with it.

Oddly enough, baldness is actually a sign of higher testosterone. I had a friend that went bald when he was 20 too, and I'm pretty sure he was still "viril". It's like almost everything else, a societally driven stereotype that disregards evidence. I like how society always tries to tie these things into nature too, while at the same time ignoring the obvious.

"I like men with a full head of hair, Fabio is sooo sexy."

"That's your natural instinct coming through honey."

Then let's take a step back and think for a second...who do you think brings back more food for the pack, the bald dude out hunting all day, or Fabio grooming his hair all day?

edits: grammar and spacing.

Yep, exactly.

I meant to add also that pretty much anything that happens to our bodies beyond our control tends to make people feel insecure.

Yep, and again, if you don't feel insecure society will correct that for you, lol.

I don't per say see baldness as unattractive, hell I think Jason Statham is a pretty attractive looking actor and he's quite bald, saw him in one movie where he had longer hair for a bit but the hair line was all receded it looked like. I do find it rather bothersome if guys who are going bald just leave hair in awkward spots like around the back of their head with a big bald spot in the front, for instance....I say if you're going bald shave it all off, for it to look the best.

That's (also) a myth. Balding men don't have any more testosterone than men with hair, on average. However, their hair follicles are more sensitive to dihydro-testosterone (DHT), which can lead to balding.

If/when I start to bald, I'll just be shaving my hair off and embracing it. Same with going grey, I'll just dye the rest of my hair grey and embrace it.

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

excerpt:

Results were obtained from logistic regression models, adjusting simultaneously for all the measured hormones and age. Men with higher levels of testosterone were more likely to have vertex baldness (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI: 0.9 to 7.8] per 194 ng/dL increment of testosterone). In addition, for each 59 ng/mL increase in IGF-1, the odds of having vertex baldness doubled (95% CI [1.0 to 4.6]). Those who were found to have higher circulating levels of SHBG were less likely to have dense hair on their chest (OR = 0.4, 95% CI [0.1 to 0.9] per 24 nmol/L increment in SHBG]). Conclusion: Testosterone, SHBG, and IGF-1 may be important in determining hair patterning in men.

We can't all be Walter Skinner or Cedric Daniels.

I think the point about it being a loss of control is pretty spot on. Also, a general sign of ageing.

I think it can also be hard to manage, depending on balding pattern and any thinning. Mine's receeding in a widow's peak style, though my hair in general remains pretty thick and fast growing. I cut it myself, and I find it harder to get it 'balanced' now. I mostly wear a hat when out, though.

Re testosterone - there's may be some recognition in the assumption/association that those who shave their heads are 'hard' and aggressive.

I'm 55, and I've had a "receding hairline" for years.

I wish I had a full head of hair, like my father does at age 83.

But my having a receding hairline hasn't caused "receding" virility.

You know, I always wondered why anyone would care until my hair started thinning up top. Then I realized why. It can remind you that your younger days are behind you and probably the best of you days are long gone.

Also, if you believe Andropause is a real thing, it can coincide with a time you already feel very insecure about yourself to begin with.

There are many times when balding is really not a sign of "age." A fair amount of men start going bald in their 20's----including great athletes!

I have such a big head----that I would look pretty funny should I be completely bald.

I was going to attribute it to advertising, but then remembered that even the ancient Greeks and Egyptians had their quack cures & treatments (like...chicken manure).

I wonder what will happen over the next 10-20 years. Starting around 2000/2002, we trended toward greater social expectations of a pure sex & gender binary presentation in our culture. *In general* Women's hair was longer, men keep theirs really short. Beards grew in popularity. Layette departments became split between pink and blue - yellow was actually hard to find! But then around five years ago, the cycle started shifting back and its been really gathering steam since. Yellow & other color clothes are again available for babies. Stores have begun marketing toys to "children" instead of "boys" or "girls". Millennials and younger have expressed an intolerance for the assumption of a pure binary and they are just starting to be the adult target of marketers.

So I wonder what will happen with the social interpretation/representation/symbolism of baldness. It'll still be a biological marker of masculinity, but will such symbols continue to have as much significance past the obvious biological need for someone to distinguish male from female for pairing?

I was going to attribute it to advertising, but then remembered that even the ancient Greeks and Egyptians had their quack cures & treatments (like...chicken manure).

I wonder what will happen over the next 10-20 years. Starting around 2000/2002, we trended toward greater social expectations of a pure sex & gender binary presentation in our culture. *In general* Women's hair was longer, men keep theirs really short. Beards grew in popularity. Layette departments became split between pink and blue - yellow was actually hard to find! But then around five years ago, the cycle started shifting back and its been really gathering steam since. Yellow & other color clothes are again available for babies. Stores have begun marketing toys to "children" instead of "boys" or "girls". Millennials and younger have expressed an intolerance for the assumption of a pure binary and they are just starting to be the adult target of marketers.

So I wonder what will happen with the social interpretation/representation/symbolism of baldness. It'll still be a biological marker of masculinity, but will such symbols continue to have as much significance past the obvious biological need for someone to distinguish male from female for pairing?

I find the bald Sinead O'Connor to be quite feminine, actually.

But yes, I do agree, by and large, in what you are saying.