Let’s face it, anyone affected by hair loss suffers a great deal of psychological trauma and pain, especially women, considering the fact that a full head is often perceived as a true reflection of their youth, beauty, sexual potency and desirability, and even social and financial status as well as a symbol of one’s perfect health . Did you know that baldness can be more psychologically stressful for a woman than it is for a man? Now you do. A lock of beautiful hair not only affects a woman’s expression of individuality or personality, and thus greatly impacts on their femininity, while bald men are rated as being more intelligent.
Basically, it is quite evident that almost every society in the modern world considers hair to be an essential component of a woman’s attractiveness, and hence it can be such a psychological catastrophe to lose your hair at a vulnerable time in your life. In fact, there is a great social stigma attached to baldness in women given that it can affect their sensuality and the way they perceive themselves tremendously. In essence, there are several emotional trials and tribulations associated with baldness, and are more than just a visual problem, as many affected women suffer emotionally from it.
Potential psychological impacts of hair loss in women
According to a research conducted by Vanderbilt University, it has emerged that women are more likely to suffer somewhat greater psychological pain due to the effects of hair loss than men. It is quite intriguing to mention that this research has been documented and validated using questionnaires designed and administered by psychologists and physician investigators. This can be attributed to the fact that, since women have a significant investment in their appearance, they will tend to react more negatively to events that ruin it, especially hair thinning. In this regard, a woman might feel more self-conscious than before.
1. Low self-esteem
Loss of self-esteem is also one of the most prominent psychological impacts of alopecia in women since they are usually highly sensitive to the social expectation concerning their crowning glory, a lock of beautiful hair. Physical beauty is an indispensable cornerstone of self-esteem and it is one of the most vulnerable. The self-esteem levels and other measures of self-worth drop considerably when hair loss occurs.
2. Loss of personal attractiveness and fear of not looking attractive to others
Hair is an important element of physical attractiveness and an effective means of expressing individuality in women, but hair loss greatly influences the perception of them by others. In fact, majority of women believe that they become less attractive when they lose their hair. According to some experts, hair is an essential part of the male psyche. Unlike men whose hair represents their virility, women who experience devastating hair loss conditions are more likely to feel that they are not as attractive as they were before to the members of the opposite sex.
Do you know that hair has been linked to power since the biblical times? For instance, the story of Samson and Delilah revolves around the power of long and healthy hair. Actually, this is the driving force behind the attitude that thinning hair and bald spots in women can ruin their ability to look more attractive to others (men), and thus leading to dissatisfaction with appearance and body-image. Ideally, receding hairline in women can turn into the fear of not looking attractive to others.
3. Loss of confidence
Although a full head of hair is not always guarantee of instant confidence, some studies have shown that nearly 80 percent of women feel less confident upon onset of the hair loss. However, it is hard to verify the psychological impact involving loss of confidence because most women find it easier to camouflage and hide their bald if they feel stigmatized, unlike men.
These are just but a few psychological effects of hair loss in women, but it is fascinating to know that balding men actively cope and generally retain the integrity of their personality functioning. Nonetheless, the best way to deal with such unwanted, distressing experience that diminishes the attractiveness of a woman’s body image is by discovering the cause of hair loss, learning about the treatment options, weighing treatment options and undertaking the best hair loss treatment program of your choice to help curb hair loss.