Whether or not—or when—you’ll go bald is in your genes. And unfortunately, your fate is sealed no matter what you do… that is, unless you undergo a hair transplant. Not only can the procedure drastically change the appearance of your hair (by relocating follicles from the side and back of your head to the top), it can alter your confidence and people’s perception of your age and level of attractiveness, according to new research from JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. And that’s not all.
In the study, published in The JAMA Network Journals, researchers surveyed 122 participants (48 percent were men); all were shown side-by-side images of a man and asked to compare them. Of the total pairs of photos, 13 in all, seven of the men had undergone a hair transplant procedure for pattern baldness (six did not). The participants were asked to rate (on a scale of 0 to 100, scores higher than 50 imply a positive change) each photo for age, attractiveness, successfulness, and approachability to see how hair transplants helped or hurt perception.
The men who underwent hair transplants were rated as more youthful, attractive, successful, and approachable—all of which can influence your workplace and social status, the researchers said in a press release. Men were perceived as being younger (by about 3.5 years) and more attractive by casual onlookers, as well as more successful in their careers and approachable in a social setting.
