Last Updated on November 18, 2016 by Robert Price

When I first became interested in hair loss, Brian Stelter was one of the first guys I googled. How old was he, I wondered. He had a fairly youthful face with a Dr. Phil hairline and I was intrigued, to say the least. I figured he was about 40. Turns out I was off by a decade: he was only 30-years-old! Younger than me! I shouted quietly in disbelief at my laptop upon this discovery: “that guy’s only 30!”

Now 31, Brian is the already the senior media correspondent at CNN and he has his own weekly show, Reliable Sources. They bring him on the air whenever a major media story breaks, and he’s currently one of the central figures at the network.

Stelter shows a type 6 pattern on the Norwood scale.

Does He Owe Some of His Success to His Hair Loss?

I would argue that yes, Stelter’s early rise to prominence in the industry can be partially attributed to his hair loss. His advanced balding pattern makes him look considerably older than he is, which is one of the reasons no one questions his status as a “senior” media correspondent. Can you imagine CNN giving that title to a 30-year-old journalist with a full head of hair? I can’t.

I could be mistaken, but I’m fairly certain Brian is the youngest journalist on television to host his own show. His hair loss makes him appear older, wiser, and more distinguished to the audience. And if you’re experiencing an early onset case of male pattern baldness, there’s a good chance you too can use your hair loss to your advantage if you’re smart, especially if you’re looking to achieve success in the business world.

Sure, shaving your head will make you appear more youthful, but allowing your thinning and recession to show could accelerate your climb up the corporate ladder. Moreover, the bald community takes care of their own, as Larry David will tell you. There’s a good chance you have powerful bald bosses or superiors at your organization, and if you learn how to network effectively, they can help you advance your career.

Jeff Zucker, Brian’s boss over at CNN, is also a bald man. Food for thought.

Ladies’ Man

Brian dated fellow news anchor, entrepreneur, and socialite Nicole Lapin in 2011. Back then I believe he was considerably heavier than he is now– and he still isn’t exactly a small guy. He was almost as bald, too, just with a few more wispy hairs on the top of his head. Like James Gandolfini, Brian offers proof that bald, overweight dudes can still be sexy. Photo by MattHise. Nicole Lapin at Fashion Week in NYC, 2007. Original photo is here.

Nicole Lapin is ridiculously hot; she sort of looks like Kate Middleton but she’s even hotter than that by my estimation. Wow. Good for Brian! Now he’s married to a cute traffic-reporter wife, he’s got a great job, and he’s living the American dream — and you can, too. Confidence is the key. As long as you’re cool with your hair loss, you won’t have any issues with your career or with the ladies or the fellas if that’s your thing. You can even use your early baldness to your advantage, like Brian Stelter did.

Robert Price

Robert Price is a writer, consumer advocate, and hair loss researcher with thousands of hours of experience in the field. His goal is to keep you out of the hair loss rabbit hole, underworld, or whatever you want to call it. He founded Hair Loss Daily, the unbiased hair loss blog, in 2016. You can learn more about Robert in the my story section of this website.