Bald Men are seen as more dominant
It’s a problem that has always plagued men, but there is an upside to hair loss according to new research which has found bald men appear tougher and more powerful than others.
Guys with shaved heads are also seen as taller, stronger and having greater potential as leaders, researcher Albert Mannes has found.
The University of Pennsylvania lecturer, and a balding man himself, carried out three experiments to delve into how men who shaved their heads were perceived by others.
Mannes told Time.com: ‘I was surprised that perceptions of dominance and masculinity extended to concrete, physical characteristics such as height and strength.’
In the first experiment nearly 60 participants were asked to look at a series of photos of men who were similar in age and attire but with differing amounts of hair.
When the results were averaged, shaved men topped the ratings in terms of how powerful, influential and authoritative they looked, Time.com reported.
In the second study each man was shown twice – one with hair and once digitally balded. Not only were the bald men perceived as more dominant, but they were also viewed as nearly an inch taller and 13% stronger.
In the final experiment participants were given written and verbal descriptions – where shaved men again got the highest marks for masculinity.
But Mannes, whose study was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, warned that while men with shaved heads topped the masculinity table, those with a full mane of hair were still voted more attractive.
‘So, whatever a man gains in dominance directly by shaving his full head of hair will be offset to some degree by his diminished attractiveness’ he continued.
‘The shaved look is more attractive than the visibly balding look. So men suffering natural hair loss may enhance both their dominance and attractiveness by shaving.
‘These men might better improve their well-being by finishing what Mother Nature has started.’
Source from: http://www.viviscal.co.uk