BraidsConnect

The World Is Tolerant to Alopecia, Our Study Says

It's Alopecia Awareness Month, and 80% of celebrities we look to for our beauty standards are using wigs, weaves and hair pieces. They probably don't want you to know, but any hair expert can tell when people are wearing their natural hair. They also know from their...

  • 4 min read
The World Is Tolerant to Alopecia, Our Study Says

It’s Alopecia Awareness Month, and 80% of celebrities we look to for our beauty standards are using wigs, weaves and hair pieces. They probably don’t want you to know, but as a hair expert, I can tell when people are wearing their natural hair. I also know from their hairlines who’s hiding alopecia.

But the real issue is, why hide?

The social stigma of becoming bald is a very common issue among alopecia sufferers. But our study shows that actors, rappers and models who shaved their heads did not lose their popularity after doing so. Some gained popularity with the move, which might show the world is more supportive than assumed.

Top takeaways:

  • None of the celebrities lost their Instagram followers because of shaving;
  • 79.7% of people would date a shaved person;
  • 14.8% of participants find shaved people even more attractive.

For our study, we analyzed how shaving impacted the social following of eight top celebrities. Turns out, the accounts stayed on trend at the least, while some increased in followers after the big shave took place.

Jada Pinkett-Smith

Jada Smith Jada is an exceptionally beautiful actress, and alopecia has done nothing to detract from that. Her followers show a steady increase after she shaved. It spiked after the slapping incident and “alopecia” became a household word.

Saweetie

Saweetie This rapper has a hairdresser who is extremely talented. The blonde hair color after her initial cut blends in well with her skin tone. You can’t really tell if she has alopecia. Her followers increased quite a bit after she shaved.

KJ Apa

Kj Apa This New Zealand actor is thinning a little in the temple area, which is normal for his age. For whatever reason, he’s seen a steady decline in followers that wasn’t impacted much by his decision to clip off his hair.

Heather Land

Heather Land Heather Land shaved to make her feel more in control over her hair loss situation. I love her new look and her followers increased for a while with it.

Doja Cat

Doja Cat Doja Cat’s followers were reaching a plateau when she shaved. Her numbers are still really high, whether she has alopecia or not.

Maisie Williams

Maisie Williams It appears that this actress has stuck with her punk roots, and simply shaved her head as an expression of that. There’s no evidence of hair loss here.

Ireland Baldwin

Ireland Baldwin This model turned DJ says she ruined her hair over the years with bleach and has had the urge many times to buzz it off. She’s proud of herself that she cares more about her own aesthetic than about what people think of her. We’re proud of her, too.

Noah Centineo

Noah Centineo It’s not the first time Noah has shaved his locks. I think he prefers a more masculine look as opposed to his on-screen rom-com character. This is a style choice, and his trend of Instagram followers is the same as before he shaved.

Need More Proof?

If you or someone you know has alopecia, we have more great news. The Right Hairstyles has millions of active readers that help us collect and share unique insights with the world. We ran a survey where we asked 4989 subscribers two simple questions:

  1. Would you date a shaved person?
  2. Do you find shaved people more attractive?

Here are the results:

Survey A detailed table with the results can be found below.

Yes No % Yes % No
Would you date a shaved person? 3975 1014 79.7 20.3
Do you find shaved people more attractive? 736 4253 14.8 85.2

So almost 80% of the group we surveyed doesn’t have prejudices against shaved styles, and there is a statistically significant group of people who have a preference for them.

Our study proves that shaving your hair won’t impact your social status. It also shows that shaved people are actually more attractive to some. Help us share these encouraging facts during Alopecia Awareness Month.

Ways to get involved:

  • Join the fundraising activities;
  • Volunteer for dedicated support groups;
  • Share your own story with community;
  • Post on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok with #AlopeciaAwareness hashtag;
  • Wear blue ribbons, wristbands and other merchandise;
  • Educate yourself and spread the word about this condition.

Full Infographic

Methodology:

This study used a cross-sectional design that targeted adult subjects regarding their preferences for baldness in a partner. The data was collected by survey. We also compared statistical differences of the Instagram followers of celebrities who shaved their hair. Data from socialblade.com was also used.

References:

Data used:

Images used:

Comment

Disqus comment here

Recommended for You

10 Banana Clip Hairstyles to Rock in 2025

10 Banana Clip Hairstyles to Rock in 2025

The traditional banana clip for hair is sort of a relic of the past but has made a recent comeback. It was often worn in the 80’s in Starlite movies, by models in ads and fashionistas of the day. And it made their hair appear longer, fuller and thicker even when...

10 Best Hair Shine Products for Smooth and Glossy Hairstyles

10 Best Hair Shine Products for Smooth and Glossy Hairstyles

Have you ever wondered how celebrities and models get diamond-glossy hair on red carpets, music videos, and even on “I just woke up” Instagram pictures? Well, we all want that hair! As a professional stylist, I have some lucky finds in my arsenal. These products...