Who says I don't write enough fashion posts for men? I'm going for it, diving straight into a topic that's undeniably male. Next to being short, losing their hair (can we be frank and say "going bald"?) is something that men get awfully touchy about.

For whatever reason, hair is still equated with virility. I guess ever since Samson met Delilah, men have been watchful of their locks.

What should men do to curb the wrath of nature? Get hair transplants? Wear toupees?

Hell no! The macho thing is to embrace your impending baldness. Better yet, get a head start and shave your head. That's the advice of Daniel Jones, a writer for the style section of The New York Times. Reports Jones:

Head shaving has gone prime time. And not a moment too soon for guys like me, who would never have had the guts to take such a drastic measure if so many men hadn’t acted so bravely to make an odd look so mysteriously hip.

The advantages of head shaving, says Jones, "are almost too many to count." Among them: "No chance of going gray, no wet hair after a shower or swim, no haircut bill, no bed head, no risk of infestation with hair lice from your third grader."

But let's put those practicalities aside and go back to the real issue, which is whether having a head of hair is still essential to your ego (and, by extension, your career). I know a couple of male lawyers who spent a small fortune on hair transplants, though I can't say that it altered the course of their careers (or love life).

Personally, I don't really understand why men are so sensitive about going bald. I rarely notice whether a man has thinning hair. And I've never heard of a woman who refused to date someone because of his hairline. (It's not the hair loss but the combover that's the deal killer.)

Of course, if you are already in a positon of power, the issue recedes, so to speak. That said, if I had to make an aesthetic choice between someone with thinning hair versus a bald guy, I'd go for the baldy. I don't know if it's a Yul Brynner or Patrick Stewart thing, but I think bald men exude a certain authority and mystique. 

Indeed, The Am Law 100 is full of luminaries who are bald—like Latham & Watkins's Robert Dell, Jones Day's Joe Sims, and Kirkland & Ellis's James Sprayregen (pictured above, left to right). Whether they achieved that look by shaving their heads, I have no idea. As for whether they exude the same sexuality as Patrick Stewart—well, I'll let you decide.

What do you think? Shouldn't male lawyers with thinning hair just take it all off? Wouldn't that elevate the style quotient at your firm?

 Related post: "Your Gray Hair."

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