Hair Loss Doesn’t Make A Family Guy

29th November 2012

Some insight into people’s perceptions of hair loss from an unusual source – Family Guy.

In an episode I watched recently, one of the characters – Quagmire – gets caught out wearing a toupee.  His friends then persuade him to remove it, telling him that he should embrace his baldness. However, the removal of his security blanket results in Quagmire acting like a bitter and twisted old man. His mood is only improved after a hair transplant!

Whilst fans of Family Guy will certainly agree that the show cannot be said to be in any way based on reality, it is interesting that the writers have chosen to portray baldness negatively. Whilst, of course, baldness does not automatically make a person bitter, many men who lose their hair are very conscious of their appearance, and this can directly affect their mood.

When some men experience hair loss, they can have a tendency to feel old before their time. Hair loss is often associated with ageing, and many men I encounter do worry that their baldness will lead to them being pigeonholed as ‘old’ – which can be frustrating and distressing.

Hair transplants are not to be taken as lightly as in Family Guy! However, there is certainly an element of truth in its portrayal of hair loss and the consequent impact it can have on a person’s behaviour. In these cases, hair transplants, if carefully considered, offer a degree of relief to a man conscious of his hairline.