Wayne Rooney, super young and successful British Soccer star has recently undergone a hair transplant. That news has been splashed all over the Internet for the last three days. Now, hair transplants are common enough, however, when it’s a celebrity the topic seems to attract a little more attention.

But what surprised me – and I read several articles about it – were the personal attacks Rooney received from the media and from other men who suffer with thinning hair and baldness. Most of the comments suggested that his hair transplant was nothing more than an act of vanity. And some of the comments I read were downright vicious.

What an interesting situation. It’s like we’re on the edge of battle front…but we’re fighting with each other. Over 40 million of us know that losing your hair absolutely sucks. So it would make sense for us to easily develop supportive, empathetic attitudes toward one another, right? Apparently not.

How you deal with baldness or thinning hair could aggravate others around you suffering from the same situation. What a contradiction. If this article is any indication, you’re just as likely to meet resistance as you are to find support. But I have to admit, it’s not the first time the challenge of thinning hair or baldness didn’t make sense.

Here are a couple of contradictory statements I’ve heard over the years:

“Be proud of your thinning hair. It makes you look more manly” versus  “Yeah man, balding sucks. Sorry about that.”

“Women like bald men. Remember Marissa Tomei on Seinfeld?” versus “Most the women I know won’t date guys with thinning hair.”

“A bald head is very distinguished” versus “Men with full heads of hair seem to get more respect and are promoted much faster.”

So what are we supposed to believe? And more importantly, how are we supposed to act? Is it okay to get a hair transplant or will we be mocked as Wayne Rooney has been? Should we cover thinning hair with certain styles or hair thickeners like Volluma or should we display receding hairlines proudly?

The truth is…you can’t win. You can’t make decisions about how you feel based on what you think others might say. No one is going to agree. There will always be those that want you to accept what is happening. Then, there are those that will encourage you to find a way to hide it. And their motivation will be different from yours.

The battle will rage whether we want to be a part of it or not. So my thought is…do whatever the heck makes you feel best. Because in the end, your opinion is the only one that really matters.

Look Good, Feel Great, Get Noticed.
Chris Denison
www.volluma.net/men