Hair Making a Comb-Back?

When do we stop caring about our hair?

It depends on each person, of course, but in general we ALL want to hold onto that beautiful scalp hat we had back when we were in our prime.

But…nature has its way with many of us who have seen -- as the years went by -- our magnificent manes go bye bye…

Me? I was somewhat lucky in my hair journey. I had long, thick, wavy hair all through my youth and into my late 20s. Looking back at old photos, it was around the time I turned 40 that I began to notice a distinct thinning on the top of my head.

Which slowly began to spread onto the back of my head, giving me the look I’ve grown into as the years passed. It happens to so many of us: Probably 75 percent of men over 50 experience some hair loss, and I’d guess 25 percent of women are also in that group.

But again: I was lucky in my hair loss journey. I had a thick, beautiful shock of follicles when it was terribly important – during the long-hair revolution of the late 1960s and 1970s. That corresponded to my late teens and 20s, when having long hair REALLY meant something; i.e., as a protest of the insane Vietnam War and just a rejection of the materialistic, conformist status quo in America.

Over the years, hair loss/baldness cures have come and gone. Some maybe had some slight recovery/slowing effect – while most didn’t. Then, there was Hair Club for Men, the only “real” baldness “cure.”

Hair Club is transplant based. For a large amount of money, they can take hair from the back of your head – which usually doesn’t fall out – and re-plant it where the scalp holes have appeared.

With any luck, that transplanted hair doesn’t die and – voila! – you’re young again, baby!

But now I’m hearing about a NEW way to bring back our apparently deceased follicles.

Researchers recently announced a breakthrough in re-awakening those follicles through stem cell manipulation. As I understand it, the stem cells can activate a body protein that revitalizes seemingly long-dead follicles, once again triggering hair growth.

It’s apparently worked on lab mice and some human lab rats, although gaining FDA approval is probably years away.

I’m not sure I can wait that long, given my rapidly advancing years.

But what would be the difference if such a cure was available right now?

Would it bring a huge change to my everyday life?

I don’t think so.

Face it: The Vietnam War is long over (we lost), and America is just as materialistically focused as it ever was. Having long hair once meant something to my generation. But today, it’s usually just someone who really needs a haircut.

Ultimately, I think having great hair is mainly an affectation of the mating ritual. It’s basically to help the young attract a mate – and that’s about it.

Ladies, you have a whole different perspective on this issue, I’m sure, as women are so often judged mostly on their looks. Keeping that head of hair looking great is a nearly-life-long pursuit for many of you.

But us guys, well, most of us eventually just accept what happens “up there'' and try to forget those “Prince Charming” days. We shave it all off, or we wear a hat from the time we wake up until we fall back into bed again.

For me – at my age – retrieving my lost hair is not something I’m going to lose any sleep over.

Because I’m OK with how the aging process has transformed me physically.

And there are so many other far more important things in Life to worry about.