How does hair loss or baldness affect your professional career?
According to IFOP, in 2015 baldness affected around 8.5 million French people, with 25 % of them suffering psychologically. Baldness is therefore a common phenomenon, and would appear to have no effect on physical health either. Yet baldness does not enjoy good press. Prince Harry, for example, described his brother Prince William's baldness as "alarming" in his recently published autobiography The Spare! Beyond this brutal attack, what do we know about hair loss?
A symbol of wisdom and experience in the past (it meant that you had managed to survive for a long time in ancient times and acquired crucial experience of the best strategies), hair loss has completely changed the paradigm. But why? What image does it have today? And above all, how does it affect professional success?
The portrayal of baldness in the media
Apart from a few actors (such as Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Jonathan Banks, Vin Diesel, Terry Crews and Bruce Willis), baldness is rarely portrayed in today's media. It's also worth noting that it's rarely appearances that are entirely devoid of facial hair - bald but bearded ! It's a phenomenon backed up by a 2006 study. It revealed that out of 1,356 characters in popular American children's TV programmes, only 3 % were bald.
Baldness also suffers from a number of negative stereotypes in pop culture. According to the TV Tropes website, in both television and film, bald people tend to be the big villains (Breaking Bad with Walter White, Lex Luthor in Superman, Blofed in James Bond, Voldemort...).
Social networks amplify today's hair beauty standards
A phenomenon amplified by social networks, which emphasise a youthful, hairy physical appearance as the pinnacle to be attained. A youthfulness that is the dominant criterion of today's beauty. In fact, it is associated with a number of symbols. Dynamism, adaptability, potential, seduction, social networks celebrate the physical body and vitality...
You might say that it's all about social networking. There's no reason why it should affect your professional life! Well, think again. Because this beauty bias is not confined to Tik tok and Instagram, nor is it simply a consequence of them. They can, however, be seen as an amplifier of a studied human phenomenon, the Halo effect.
the halo effect, look good and shut up
A famous example of Halo's effect on a career
What is the Halo effect: A person's external beauty is perceived as reflecting a set of qualities without necessarily knowing what they are. This is a prejudice, or rather a cognitive bias. As a result, we tend to think that people who look good are more intelligent, competent, sociable, ambitious, warm, etc.
An amusing anecdote illustrating how appearance can be a fairly misleading indicator of intelligence and personality.
A fact highlighted by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Blink. It tells the story of Warren Harding, a man with an IQ that was more in nap mode than hyperactive. His redemption? He was blessed with a 1920s beauty. So the Americans decided that he would be their 29th President thanks to his "presidential hottie" looks. (Of course, it's important to remember that we're talking about beauty standards that are different from today's). According to Gladwell, historians consider Warren Harding to have been one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States. That's what we call having "the face for the job" - and it worked, the public voted for him.
Unlike Halo , the negative stereotype of baldness has an impact on first impressions.
And the face of the job for an American president is obviously no longer bald since the advent of television. The global analysis of studies on the perception of hair loss entitled "Social Perceptions of Male Pattern Baldness. A Review" directed by Ronald Henss shows that hairstyles make a significant contribution to people's first impressions of each other. Unfortunately, hair loss is not a good first impression overall. It suffers from negative preconceptions: people with alopecia are perceived as less attractive, less trustworthy, less assertive... in first impressions, of course.
Why do we have these visual biases?
We can assume that it comes from our apprehension of the world essentially based on sight. A bit like being a giant reality TV show. We love spotting patterns and associating preconceived ideas with them to save our precious grey cells extra effort. After all, the first sense when communicating is the eye!
Albert Mehrabian, a professor of psychology in the United States, demonstrated this in 1971 with the 3-V rule. This tells us that 7% of communication is verbal, 38% is vocal and 55% is visual. What we say is less important than our voice, our face, our way of being. Non-verbal communication is therefore a major factor in social relations. In fact, visuals are an integral part of our business communication.
The impact of beauty and baldness in the workplace
The specific impact of beauty and baldness on recruitment
In addition, a study by the Discrimination Observatory shows thatwith identical CVs in France, the candidacy of a man ofstandard appearance a twice more of positive responses than that of a man with an average physique. unsightly.
Similarly, in this survey, people who were slightly older (48-50) or who looked older obtained 3 times fewer positive responses for an interview than the standard male test. Unconsciously, recruiters make their decisions on the basis of a candidate's appearance and what it evokes in them. Even if they claim to base their decisions on objective criteria. The beauty and appearance of youth * are therefore an asset when recruitment. (note that lack of experience is a criterion that will counterbalance a candidate's youth).
To return to the Observatory study, it is interesting to note the perception of older employees (48-50) in terms of recruitment revealed by the survey. Because of their age (48-50), they are considered to have the least potential, to be the least dynamic, the least malleable and the least motivated of the sample.
On the other hand, they are seen as the most experienced, reliable and loyal to the company. Younger traits can therefore be desirable in fast-moving professional environments such as start-ups and tech.
Source :Discrimination Observatory - 2006, Test on 1340 job offers, 6461 CVs sent
The impact of appearance on career development
Other research indicates that physical appearance can also influence pay. For example: Daniel Hamermesh's 2011 Beauty Pays study. Working individuals (men and women combined) judged to be more attractive earn more on average (€160,000 more on average) over the course of their career. Similarly, another American study entitled "Beauty, productivity and discrimination: lawyers' looks and lucre" found that attractive lawyers were more successful financially and attracted more clients. An illustration of the importance of appearance in career progression.
Looking good is an increasingly important career investment
Many people, realising the halo effect, are resorting more and more to cosmetic surgery. Around the world, the business of cosmetic surgery has grown, as have its excesses. Aesthetic treatments first found their clientele among people with media exposure or whose professional activity is in constant contact with customers.
These people are acutely aware of the value of their image and beauty. This is particularly true of celebrities! They are talking more and more openly about their surgery. Whether it's Kim Kardashian with botox or breast surgery, Elton John, Laurent Baffie or Stéphane Bern with their hair transplants - they're all talking about it. secrets of history and hair...
Finally, the more anonymous business leaders, politicians and property developers are getting in on the act. They are looking for an appearance that matches the idea they have of seduction and charisma in their jobs. In a world dominated by image, appearance is an important competitive factor.
Some Klineva hair transplant results
The democratisation of cosmetic surgery, including hair transplants.
In recent years there has been an unprecedented boom in cosmetic surgery (see article here), particularly for so-called invisible surgeries such as hair transplants. Klineva, a cosmetic surgery clinic based in Turkey, has found that its patients come from all walks of life. As a result of medical tourism, surgery is much more accessible. Beautifying one's appearance is a strategic choice that can have positive repercussions on one's career.
Obviously, looks aren't everything. An individual's intrinsic qualities and skills are the essence of a career and, more generally, of a life.
A well-groomed, attractive and youthful appearance should be seen as a help, a bonus. And not just in the way others perceive you, but also in the way you perceive yourself. Indeed, beyond the cognitive biases of appearance, one of the major components of charisma is self-confidence. And self-confidence is linked to self-esteem: a good view of oneself makes it easier to relate to others thanks to the self-assurance it provides (see article self-esteem and hair). A physical transformation can help in this respect.
Conclusion
Yes, physical appearance is important in a career. There is a real beauty privilege, and the beauty standards catapulted by social networks have repercussions in the workplace. Beauty and the perception of youth are currently valued. People who are considered beautiful are more likely to have higher-paying careers and get the best contracts.
Baldness, an age marker for men, was already suffering from negative stereotypes due to pop culture. Today it is even more stigmatised. This also explains the craze for cosmetic surgery, particularly hair transplants. First among celebrities, then among the general population, with access facilitated by medical tourism, for example in Turkey (see article). It's worth noting that, cognitive biases aside, a well-groomed appearance can boost self-confidence, a key factor in charisma and professional success.
Similar questions
Does baldness really affect career opportunities?
Yes, various studies suggest that baldness can influence first impressions, affecting career opportunities.
Do social networks really amplify hair beauty standards?
Absolutely, social networks accentuate the standard of youthful beauty, and therefore hair, influencing society's perception of appearance.
How does the Halo effect affect professional careers?
The Halo effect leads to decisions based on appearance rather than skills, which can influence professional success, but not only that.
Has cosmetic surgery become a common way of improving one's career?
Yes, more and more people, including media personalities, are resorting to cosmetic surgery to meet contemporary beauty standards.