“I don’t feel at peace, ever. My nervous system is constantly in fight or flight,” read one in response to a question last year about the “absolute worst part about balding.”
What’s different today, say experts, is that male anguish about it has never been more evident. Social media, dating apps,
“Zoom dysphoria” and a sometimes-predatory marketplace are stoking the anxiety.
“I’m seeing more of a visible mental breakdown all over social media,” says Spencer Kobren, founder of the
American Hair Loss Association, a national nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about “the emotionally devastating disease of hair loss.” “These are desperate, angry guys.”