Hair today, gone tomorrow

Baldness is a big fear for most Thai men, says a new survey, but some stars just shine with it.

BANGKOK: -- Bruce Willis, Suthichai Yoon and Andrew Biggs have more than being famous in common - they have just been recognised as the coolest bald guys around, according to Suan Dusit Poll.

Topping the list of cool baldies is popular news host and Nation Multimedia Group editor in chief Suthichai, followed by the Hollywood star and the Bangkokbased Austrialian media personality.

The findings were released yesterday as part of the Suan Dusit Poll survey, which asked 469 men aged 25 to 40 - 262 traffic policemen, 105 golfers and 102 engineers, about their attitudes to hairloss and baldness.

That hairloss scares Thai males was confirmed when one third said it would cause them embarrassment and loss of confidence. But the news isn't all bad for baldies. The majority of respondents relate baldness with millionaires and scientists.

Strength and vigour

Hair is symbolic of young people, strength and vigour," said Dr Anchulee Teeravongpaisai, a Police Hospital psychologist, adding that men with hairloss problems often lose confidence and can face depression and social phobia if they don't receive appropriate advice and treatment.

" They would feel like every eyes are catching up on their bald hair.

Almost half of respondents prefer to keep their hair short or shaved if they experience moderate hairloss. Only four per cent say they prefer to go with Korean hairstyle. Thirtysix per cent of them say they want to have skinhead hairdo to rebuild their confidence after lossing hair.

Only four per cent prefer to wear wigs while only one per cent want to go for tattoo.

Nevertheless, bald doesn't only mean cool for many but it also means easily to handle as 35 per cent of respondents point that the benefit of baldnews is an ease of washing the heads. Twenty per cent say there is no need of combing or brushing hair.

Komsan Thepkitarrekul, business manager of MSD who initiated the survey with Suan Dusit Poll, said the results reveal the psychological impact of a receding hairline on Thai men. Sixtynine per cent of the traffic policemen surveyed admit that hairloss is their worry. Most of them believe wearing a helmet could cause or accelerate hairloss.

Causes of hairloss

Dr Udomsak Hoonwijit of Chulalongkorn Hospital said that there is a lot of misunderstanding about the real causes of hairloss. "Numerous medical studies from around the world have confirmed that 95 per cent of male hairloss is due to genetic causes."

He suggested traffic policemen stop worrying about their helmets and start caring for their scalps with regular washing.

Women's attitudes

The survey also asked 108 woman how they would deal with hairloss in their partners. Seventytwo per cent said they would give moral support and search for treatment information.

The bad news is that three per cent said they would dump partners who became become bald and two per cent even said they would be tempted to have affairs.

-- The Nation Xpress 2008-10-22

They'd rather fear the ugly comb-over they seem to like so much

Big Fear!

I suppose it keeps their minds off politics and Thaksin

Baldness is a major fear for most men whatever their nationality.

It's the women's attitude that should be the worry. Three percent would dump their partners and two percent would consider an affair (not sure whether those are additive or not). So for potentially five percent of women love is not even scalp deep.

But it's good, if you are bald, to see that baldness is associated with millionaires. Perhaps that's why I have no luck with women.

Just think, if 'The King and I' had not been banned in Thailand all these years,

Yul Bryner would be a Thai Icon and 'Baldness' would be a cool sought after trait in men!

Did Chulalongkorn's father have a full head of hair?

I don't think this is a rude question, just historical.

All it takes is one revered historical character to be shown as bald

and the whole thing changes.

They'd rather fear the ugly comb-over they seem to like so much

Absolutely the Bobby Charlton look is far too common. As is the use of very dodgy hairpieces. Get that cat of your head.

Baldness Is A Big Fear For Most Thai Men

i bet it ranks way behind the other big fear - the size complex.....

the fear of having the smallest car or the biggest mobile phone.....

....and the biggest fear for Thai females is having skin a shade darker than paper.

Only four per cent say they prefer to go with Korean hairstyle.

What is Korean hairstyle ?

Only four per cent say they prefer to go with Korean hairstyle.

What is Korean hairstyle ?

Center parting.

Another thing is men feverishly dying their hair black...so fun when they come and their hair is a little too black, a shade darker than any hair can be in nature (as it will become lighter after a few washes atleast it will look ok after a while) and it's kinda obvious what they did...

If going bald is all they have to fear they are lucky.

Baldness...... embrace the horror !!!!

Another thing is men feverishly dying their hair black...so fun when they come and their hair is a little too black, a shade darker than any hair can be in nature (as it will become lighter after a few washes atleast it will look ok after a while) and it's kinda obvious what they did...

REALLY !, and there was me thinking they died their roots silver ,.There is an older Thai man in a bike shop in pattaya that spray paints his head with flat black paint, i arrived there the other day and he was removing the masking tape, i nearly died laughing after inhaling the fumes !

Thai man seems to not have that genetic decease , so i don't see why they worry about this.

caucasian and african do have it a lot, it's transmitted by the father only and if your father has all his hair, it doesn't mean you won't go bald.

Thai man seems to not have that genetic decease , so i don't see why they worry about this.

caucasian and african do have it a lot, it's transmitted by the father only and if your father has all his hair, it doesn't mean you won't go bald.

AFAIK the host of the balding gene is actually the mother, not the father.

But yeah, I have not noticed many bald Thai men myself.

Thais and Asian men in general seem less prone to male-pattern baldness than their Western counterparts. I don't know if that is due to more resistance to the testosterone that causes baldness, or less actual testosterone...?

I have a few staff and customers with thinning hair though, that tend to go for the combover / painting effect. Shame really, as Asian blokes suit the shaved head look more than us, imo.

My understanding is that it is passed down from the mother as well. If her dad was bald, her sons will have a higher chance of being bald as well.

I started losing my hair at age 23-24. Dear Old Dad had a full head of hair up until just recently (he's just over 76 now). Not sure about mom's dad though.

I recall reading the Histories of Herodotus some time ago, and he remarked after his travels to Egypt that baldness amongst the Egyptians was less prevalent than amongst the Greeks. He surmised that this may have been due to the Egyptian practice of shaving their heads in their youth.

What I found interesting about this, was that it was written almost 2,500 years ago !!

The gene for baldness is carried by the mother and not the father.

I have seen some people who have really baaaaad looking hair pieces. I am tempted to say that they would look better if they did not wear a hair piece because it only accentuates their condition.

I admire people like Sootichai Yoon and Andrew Biggs for being proudly bald.

I agree. It is something that they cannot understand.

I like the BTS adds about the young man and woman talking about losing their hair. Now, the man losing his hair on his head I can see that. The woman, what part of her body is she worried about losing her hair from?

My best friend has a terribly receding hairline, and he's not even 40 yet. He's Chinese. My eldest son, age 40, has been going bald in three directions (front, back, and very thin), for many years. But the hair he still has is very blond. I think my son tried Rogaine, but once you stop using it, I think the hair falls out forever.

I feel sorry for bald men, if they cannot accept their hair loss.

most thai's i know with thinning hair are part chinese ,it seem full thai's seldom lose there hair.

I'm pretty much bald with greying hair and a large stomach and all the girsl tell me how handsome I am. "Hello handsome man." they all chime.

The Thai guys must not be drinking in the right bars!

Poor s*ds.. Haven't got much going for them

Fragile ego, small kn*bs, and now they are loosing their hair...

Poor s*ds.. Haven't got much going for them

Fragile ego, small kn*bs, and now they are loosing their hair...

Like a nation full of Englishmen?

Poor s*ds.. Haven't got much going for them

Fragile ego, small kn*bs, and now they are loosing their hair...

Like a nation full of Englishmen?

Oi.

I'm an Englishman and I'm not losing my hair.

You be the judge.

Al Roker

or Tina Turner

Poor s*ds.. Haven't got much going for them

Fragile ego, small kn*bs, and now they are loosing their hair...

Like a nation full of Englishmen?

Oi.

I'm an Englishman and I'm not losing my hair.

What's the coat of arms?

Poor s*ds.. Haven't got much going for them

Fragile ego, small kn*bs, and now they are loosing their hair...

Like a nation full of Englishmen?

Oi.

I'm an Englishman and I'm not losing my hair.

What's the coat of arms?

Not a clue. Why?

Poor s*ds.. Haven't got much going for them

Fragile ego, small kn*bs, and now they are loosing their hair...

Like a nation full of Englishmen?

Oi.

I'm an Englishman and I'm not losing my hair.

What's the coat of arms?

Not a clue. Why?

Thought it might be important

BTW, that pic of Tina Turner shows her in a wig.

vanity runs deep, particularly here in Thailand - which is becoming sooooo consumer driven.

That's why it's a relief (for me) to visit neighboring countries - particularly off the beaten track, where traditional values, closer to nature - are appreciated.

In contrast, I brefly perused a Thai womens' gossip mag the other day, and nearly all the dozens of ads were for whitening creams.

If Thai men could appreciate Thai womens' innate beauty (and lovely milk chocolate skin tone) as much as farang men do, then things might be a bit less insane - at least in the whitening cream industry.