Money can’t buy happiness, but there’s a halfway decent chance it can buy you a full head of lush hair.

Just ask Elon Musk.

Actually, don’t. I don’t believe Mr. Musk has ever publicly acknowledged his dramatic hair “transformation,” which is his right as a citizen of the planet.

Moving on.

How much is hair worth to you? How many tangible benefits does a full head of hair offer?

Well, according to a 2016 study with 122 participants, the general public considers men who undergo hair transplant procedures to be more youthful, successful, attractive, and approachable.

How the Study was Done

122 participants were recruited via social media. They were shown before-and-after photos, featuring men prior to and following their hair transplants; the participants were asked to then rate the men on a variety of factors.

The Findings (Or the Benefits of Having a Hair Transplant)

1. Youth  – The hair transplant group appeared 2.9 years younger to the study’s participants.
2. Success – After their procedures were complete, the men were rated as  17.1% more successful.
3. Approachability – The non-balding group was 18.1% more approachable, according to the study.
4. Attractiveness – Finally, the photos featuring transplanted hairlines were considered 17.5% more attractive.

Questions and Potential Problems

Of course I didn’t buy the full version study, and I just read the abstract. But I have many questions such as:

• Who were the researchers, and did they have an implicit bias or hidden agenda here? In other words, were they hair transplant surgeons?!
• Why did they choose youth, success, approachability and attractiveness as the only four parameters to be studied? Aside from success, the other three attributes are largely superficial in nature.
• Why not ask the participants which group fared better in terms of dominance, intelligence, or strength? Perhaps because the balder group might’ve won those points!

A Hair Transplant is NOT an End-All Solution

Hair transplants are often deceptively marketed as a “permanent” remedy for hair loss. But that’s blatantly false. Pattern hair loss is progressive and unless you get your hair loss under control using a proven hair loss treatment option, you’re likely to continue to go bald in the areas surrounding your hypothetical hair transplant.

And yes, you could easily end up looking much WORSE as a result of a bad transplant, because bad transplants are like herpes, in that they stay with you for the rest of your life.

When in Doubt, Buzz it Off

Acceptance is the best course for many men, and undoubtedly, there are countless benefits to embracing hair loss.

Or Don’t

Educate yourself on the basics of hair loss, see a good doctor, and begin a hair loss treatment regimen if you want to. It’s your hair. If you want to keep it, that’s your business. Once you stabilize your hair loss, then you can start looking into whether or not a hair transplant is a viable option for you.

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.