Just shave it off: A thematic analysis of men's baldness forums

TY - JOUR

T1 - Just shave it off

T2 - A thematic analysis of men's baldness forums

AU - Jankowski, Glen

AU - Sherwin, Michael

AU - Deighton-Smith, Nova

AU - Bell, Beth T.

N1 - Funding Information: The forum thread contributors are owed our gratitude. The first author would also like to express his thanks for his research sabbatical he was awarded in 2020 and the support from the Leeds Beckett University PsyCen Research Centre. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, Dougmar Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2021/2/12

Y1 - 2021/2/12

N2 - Introduction Head hair comprises a critical part of the male appearance ideal, which itself is a crucial signifier of a man’s masculinity. However, difficulties in recruitment have meant that research has not yet fully explored how men construct the loss of head hair (baldness), perhaps because it is considered “feminine” to disclose body dissatisfaction experiences to a researcher or other people. Methods and Design Online forums provide an opportunity for the anonymous discussion of body dissatisfaction that may overcome this obstacle. The first 260 forums posts from the two most popular baldness forums were thematically analysed. Ethics Statement Institutional ethics approval was granted. Results and Discussion We identified three themes titled: (1) Baldness is an ugly and demasculinising condition, (2) Baldness is stigmatised by a superficial society and superficial women and (3) Resistance to baldness despair. Our­ findings show baldness distress, and stigma exist though so does resistance, which can be comforting to men experiencing baldness or any form of body dissatisfaction. Conclusion and Implications Online forums are a salient resource to enhance our understanding of men’s balding concerns and disclosure barriers. Independent, professional and effective baldness support that unpacks baldness masculinised and medicalised framing is recommended.

AB - Introduction Head hair comprises a critical part of the male appearance ideal, which itself is a crucial signifier of a man’s masculinity. However, difficulties in recruitment have meant that research has not yet fully explored how men construct the loss of head hair (baldness), perhaps because it is considered “feminine” to disclose body dissatisfaction experiences to a researcher or other people. Methods and Design Online forums provide an opportunity for the anonymous discussion of body dissatisfaction that may overcome this obstacle. The first 260 forums posts from the two most popular baldness forums were thematically analysed. Ethics Statement Institutional ethics approval was granted. Results and Discussion We identified three themes titled: (1) Baldness is an ugly and demasculinising condition, (2) Baldness is stigmatised by a superficial society and superficial women and (3) Resistance to baldness despair. Our­ findings show baldness distress, and stigma exist though so does resistance, which can be comforting to men experiencing baldness or any form of body dissatisfaction. Conclusion and Implications Online forums are a salient resource to enhance our understanding of men’s balding concerns and disclosure barriers. Independent, professional and effective baldness support that unpacks baldness masculinised and medicalised framing is recommended.

KW - Baldness

KW - Body dissatisfaction

KW - Men

KW - Online forums

KW - Thematic analysis

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111720636&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.22374/IJMSCH.V4I1.55

DO - 10.22374/IJMSCH.V4I1.55

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85111720636

SN - 2561-9179

VL - 4

SP - e54-e67

JO - International Journal of Men's Social and Community Health

JF - International Journal of Men's Social and Community Health

IS - 1

ER -