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Something I’ve been pondering lately, is the seemingly paradoxical fact that women tend to find balding men quite unattractive while simultaneously finding greying very attractive.
Both are associated with aging and both are largely genetic, I believe, although balding more so, which might be part of the explanation.
The best I’ve been able to come up with, is that balding, since it is associated (and probably caused by) high levels of DHT, it can be an indicator of aggressiveness to the point where it is detrimental to the woman. Not that every balding man is aggressive, but I don’t think it is a coincidence, that some men will shave their head to seem more tough.
Women generally like other traits associated with higher levels of testosterone, but only up to a certain point, e.g. a study (which I can no longer seem to locate) found that especially large traps are found to be less attractive. These along with the deltoids have more androgen receptors, which makes them more susceptible to growth when testosterone is high.
These muscle groups are also good indicators of steroid use. The almost spherical shoulders some bodybuilders have are not achieved by hard work alone.
On the other hand, greying can happen from stress. I don’t think the exact mechanism is known, but I have a theory, that it is caused by the body’s ability to absorb micro nutrients being diminished during stress and the hair follicles not receiving enough of especially zinc and copper (pure speculation on my part). A man with greying hair has endured and survived stressful situations and his ability to do so is attractive.
It just seems strange, that two things that are somewhat closely related are perceived so differently. Also strange how the pattern with which they present are opposite with balding happening on top of the head and greying on the sides.
Edit: I belive this was the study I was thinking of:
Men’s Bodily Attractiveness: Muscles as Fitness Indicators. Notice the womens very low size preference of the trapezius in figure 1.
Losing one's hair for any reason other than male aging is definitely a sign of poor health in humans. Starving people lose their hair, poisoned people (chemo) lose their hair, deathly ill people lose their hair. The set "naturally bald people" is a little less healthy than the set "people with a full head of natural hair" because it contains those outliers. Idk which would have been the more common core example of baldness when humanity was evolving? When starvation is a definite possibility, then maybe losing one's hair because of anorexia is more common or more important than losing it because of genetics?
Alternatively it's a thing that differentially impacts individuals, based on facial features that make hairstyles more or less attractive, and there just aren't many men whose faces look good without hair, and vanishingly few who are flattered by hair on the sides only. Consider that most women look better with long hair, but a few look really good with pixie cuts. I can tell you I got a buzz cut a few summers ago, thought it would be easy, holy shit I look bad without hair.
To address the bald vs shaved question: it's one of intentionality and fashion. Making a deliberate decision is nearly always seen as more attractive than the default. Dressing down when everyone else is wearing a formal uniform is considered attractive, as is dressing up when everyone else looks sloppy. The guy who shaved his head made an affirmative choice, the guy who maintains two long tufts of hair is just letting nature do him like that.
Finally, bald guys don't really do that badly. They'd all do better with hair, but plenty get laid.
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