Remember when Prince William was considered a heartthrob? Rumor has it that even a young Kate Middleton had a poster of him on her wall. But when Wills starting balding, the appropriately named Harry took over the role of royal hottie.
So leave it to the New York Times to suggest a connection between William's hair thinning and his recent engagement.
"You Can Leave Your Hat On" and "No Hair to the Throne" are among the many headlines that have appeared in the British tabloids. Which poses a question: Is it possible that the 28-year-old prince felt an urge to lock up a commitment from Ms. Middleton because his heart-throb status might be beginning to disappear with the hair? If so, what must the rest of the not-so-princely men in the world feel when youthful looks begin to fade?
Which, naturally, raises the question of whether balding men lose their marketability.
Because of the blow to their self-esteem, some balding men simply settle when it comes to spouses, Mr. [Spencer] Kobren [host of thebaldtruth.com] said. "Guys believe they don't have much time left as they continue to lose their hair. They kind of grab the person closest to them who they find relatively attractive at the time. Emotionally it's too difficult for them to go out there and try to court the girl of their dreams if they are feeling emotionally insecure about themselves."
But the Times concludes by saying that balding men will be just fine. Census data indicates that like women, men are marrying later in life, so their physical expectations alter.
Although women rank physical features higher on their future-husband wish lists, they also care about personality, said Mr. Wilcox of the National Marriage Project. "The good news is that women are even more attentive to a man's capacity to be a good friend or be emotionally engaged," he said.
What do you think? As a man, do you care how much hair is on your head? As a woman, does baldness negatively impact your attraction to a man?