Are the problems of baldness getting worse in the 21st century? -

With the arrival of Micro Pigmentation, a better understanding of why baldness occurs, and the presence of other solutions for hair loss, there is understandably a feeling that thinning hair could well be on the way out. But as much as we are getting a better handle on how to deal with it (and baldness is a positive fashion statement rather than a sign of inadequacy), I believe the culture and pressures of the new millennium could well be causing more baldness issues at source.

Hair loss is not as acceptable as it used to be

Both men and women suffer from hair loss, but there is no escaping from the fact that it generally has a more profound and overt effect on men. Fashion continuously changes but over the last twenty or thirty years there has been a heightened requirement for men to create a good presentation. Whereas fifty years ago a man could get away with a blading pate or a comb over, this is very much frowned upon in the digital age. There is therefore an almost unstated requirement for men to “do something” about hair loss.

Stress in the digital age

This leads onto the next point: stress. Technical advances in the digital world are great. We can all communicate with each other in a micro-second, physically travel anywhere in the world almost at the touch of a button and we have a huge database of knowledge at our fingertips. We are therefore in contact with each other all the time and with this comes heightened competition. And that competition is much more on a micro scale than a macro scale. Stress thankfully can be controlled but it remains a trigger for hair loss.

Fast food and junk food is not good for healthy hair

Lifestyle can indeed cause hair loss and the next point affects us all – the way we eat. In the 21^st century we have an abundance of food at our fingertips which more often than not tends to be Junk food (fast foods and takeaways because of the speed at which we live). Consequently we are not taking the appropriate vitamins and minerals which in turn make our hair strong and our scalps safe.

New fashions – new pressures

Fashion again has made certain hair styles acceptable which could well be detrimental in the the long term care of your hair. Such styles as the “man bun”, cornrows, dreadlocks, and pony tails all put unnecessary pressure on the scalp and hair follicles if they are left in too long or used too often.

So as we advance further into the 21^st century and attempt to deal with the issues of hair loss we are kind of trying to manipulate a subtle balancing act. But it is far better to get rid of the problem at source then deal with the problem after it has gone too far.