Connections between American Leadership and a Full Head of Hair

Yates Hair Science Group is an Illinois company that undertakes a full range of surgical hair implantation procedures, including the leading edge follicular unit extraction approach. The Science Group is led by Dr. William Yates, who authored “Hair Matters: It Always Has and Always Will,” which is being prepared for publication.

For the founding fathers, long hair was the norm, as it conveyed a sense of authoritative leadership, and powdered wigs were worn by leaders such as George Washington. To this day, maintaining a full head of hair is seen as a strong indicator of vitality and fitness for leadership, as attested to by presidents from John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton. One of the very few exceptions to this rule was Dwight D. Eisenhower, a hero of the Second World War whose reputation for military leadership, rather than his hairline, launched him to the White House.

These observations about American leaders have been borne out by a number of psychological studies, including one measuring children’s perceptions as related to attributes of friendliness, attractiveness, and approachability. Shown pictures of people before and after restoration surgery, virtually every young survey participant selected the “after” picture with abundant hair as the better looking individual.