New research has found men’s baldness is a growing health concern, and may be caused by stress or stress related illnesses.
Researchers from the University of Oxford, who carried out the study, looked at the hair loss of 2,000 men aged over 50 in the UK.
The findings showed men with mild baldness had a higher risk of developing depression, anxiety, and self-harm.
They also found that men with severe baldness were at higher risk for depression, and were more likely to be suffering from other mental health issues.
Baldness affects men differently to women, with men more likely than women to experience facial hair loss, and women more likely hair loss than men.
According to a recent study published in the journal BMC Psychiatry, about a third of men in the United States have facial hair and that rate is expected to increase as people start to wear hair-removing products.
Dr Chris Wilson, from the Oxford University Centre for Human Health and Health Systems, said: “The fact that men are so much more likely, and the way they’re affected is so much worse, suggests the men have been doing something wrong for so long that they have these issues, and now they’re starting to realise they’ve been doing things wrong for a long time.”
Browsing online or on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter has helped men understand what it is they’re missing out on, he said.
However, he warned men to think about their appearance, as they may have other health issues to deal with, and to take a look at their lifestyle to find out how they are doing.
“It’s important to be careful about how you respond to a problem and be clear about what you want to achieve with it,” he said, adding that men should not be discouraged from getting their hair straightened.
‘I’ve never felt happier’ “This study shows that men and women with mild to moderate facial hair can be at increased risk of depression, self-harming, and other health problems, as well as anxiety and depression,” he added.
A study published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine also found women were more prone to hair loss in general, with a higher incidence of depression and anxiety in the face of severe hair loss.
Men are more likely in this study to have hair loss that is more severe, or that has been diagnosed as severe, than women.
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