Review: Baldies of the World, Unite!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 7, 2012
The late actors Telly Savalas ("Kojak") and Yul Brynner ("The King and I") had one. Numerous basketball stars such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant sport one (no pun intended). Electronic music composer and singer Moby is the owner of one. Michael Stipe of the alt-band group R.E.M. has one. So do cops, firefighters, teachers, teenagers, landscapers, politicians, and just about anyone else in this society who chooses to have one.I'm talking about bald heads.Stephen Williams, author of "Hair Loss: Erase the Embarrassment," seems to take a different tack in dealing with relationships in this particular case. Instead of offering jokes or suggestions for making our sex lives more interesting and less mundane, he confronts an admittedly sensitive topic for most men: hair loss. The focus is primarily upon the man---simply because many men regard their tresses as an extension of their persona.Now mind you, hair loss is not cause for alarm. Such a cavalier statement may seem an affront to those men who take pride in how their hair looks to them, and this is understandable because men (and women, too) have been conditioned in society to associate hair with youth, vitality, virility, etc. But really---is the specter of alopecia really more dire than knowing that your loved ones accept and appreciate you for the man whom you are?Williams preys upon mens' insecurities about their hair within his book, which was unsettling because he seems to imply that, unless the man does not sport a gorgeous, well-maintained mane, somehow he is (or will be) less than complete. I did, however, appreciate his acknowledgement of hair loss as well as his suggestions to be proactive---such as maintaining a balanced diet and partaking in a healthy lifestyle---in reducing the chances of maintaining what is still present upon the pate. As found within his other writings, he puts a positive spin upon his topic, which offset the initial bad taste I experienced in previewing "Hair Loss."Have you ever wondered why there are so many hair care products on the market? Have you ever been made aware of the countless businesses that cater to mens' and womens' insecurities about their hairstyles? And what about the preponderance of barbershops and beauty/unisex salons that open and close at furious rates within communities?Folks, it's all about the hair---and the extent that we will go to maintain it.As the proud owner of a shaved head for the past several months, I can tell you that going hairless is a lot easier than maintaining a coiffure. I choose to do so because, in my particular situation, I have inherited male-pattern baldness from both sides of my family, and I admit that I don't particularly enjoy staring in the bathroom mirror at my shiny forehead that seems to rise up onto the top of my head. So it's an ego thing for me. (Hey, I'm honest.) It seems to skip a generation as far as my family goes, because my father has a full head of hair at his age (72) and he looks quite distinguished.Williams has written a well-paced, easy-to-read book. His suggestions for taking care of and maintaining those lovely locks are well-intentioned, but even though he acknowledges the fact that hair loss does occur, he doesn't really seem to address the potential benefits and outcomes that going bald can provide. Nonetheless, "Hair Loss" is worth a look.