Hair Matters: It Always Has and Always Will

Of Politics and Presidents
Historical figures like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin wore their hair long to convey an image of leadership and to express their fashion sense. Revolutionary heroes such as George Washington and Alexander Hamilton frequently wore powdered white wigs in public, a tradition still practiced by judges and barristers in British Courts, which were designed to portray positions of authority. In the United States today, the success of most politicians running for public office may be dictated by the presence of a candidate’s hair or the lack thereof. Hair framing the face conveys an image of youth, vitality, and strength. Take a look at photographs of Presidents Kennedy, Clinton, and Reagan whose faces were handsomely framed by a full head of hair, a subliminal message conveying growth under their leadership.

According to an article in the Huffington Post on November 6, 2012, only five men who have been follicularly challenged have been elected to serve as president of this great country, much to the chagrin of many bald men who have wanted to be president in the last 200 years. In fact, the last bald man to be elected president was the World War II hero, general Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952. I would venture to say, with some degree of certainty, that one could pick the outcome of any presidential election, assuming all other factors are equal among the candidates, on the quality and quantity of each candidate’s hair. Even those who are not of voting age perceive the importance of hair. In fact, an informal independent group survey was conducted by my staff asking two specific questions of children between the ages of 4 and 10. The survey was performed to ascertain a child’s perception of hair as it relates to a person’s approachability, friendliness, and attractiveness. Children were given before and after photographs of patients who had undergone hair restoration procedures. After reviewing the photographs, the children were asked their opinion regarding whether the patients looked more friendly, attractive, or approach-able before or after the surgery. Almost all the children indicated the patients looked more friendly, attractive, and approachable after a full head of hair had been restored. Clearly, children see hair as adding to a person’s perceived characteristics in terms of his or her appearance, approachability, and friendliness.