Numerous individuals experiencing hair loss sense that they don’t measure up. They feel out of the ordinary. Spoken as a feeling of not belonging --- the difference that they face influences their social interactions, feelings of self-worth, also beliefs about their physical attractiveness.  When Shelby was reflecting on her teenage years, she said that she wouldn’t go to events or hang out with a crowd. “I didn’t like to be around groups of people. Everything is changing. At this point you are fifteen or sixteen years old, and all of a sudden everyone is getting asked out. I never actually dated any person. I was ashamed. I felt ashamed as I was different.”

Bart said that he, too, felt out of place when he was in a crowd of people, male or female.

In situations like being in a class full of other people, you know --- it would tend to make me a little quieter, or a little extra self-conscious than I typically would have been --- just the sensation of being different --- also people are looking at you because your’re not fitting into the crowd of something.

Dan appeared to sense that he was excluded not only from mixed groups but also from groups of males.

When your’re younger, groups are created a lot of times on popularity --- your own attractiveness or whatever --- and it just kinda makes me feel like you’re out of groups just only because of your appearance, which you had no control over. If baldheadedness is the drawback, you were predisposed. Good-looking guys will, a lot of times, be with other good-looking guys. Furthermore if there’s a kind of standpoint in the social order that being bald is not attractive, then you could worry that you’re gonna be precluded from some groups as they’re gonna be upset that being with you makes them appear less attractive or something --- I’ve experienced that enough times in my life.

Rodney enjoyed a complete head of hair all through high school, then experienced rapid hair loss the summer prior to attending his state university.

Here I was, a young guy who had always had long hair, was very interested in having it styled in the newest style, was extremely concerned with his looks. I went from being on the king of the hill in high school to feeling. “Oh, gee, I’m on the bottom of the pool here,”

It is interesting how people as a species have managed to attach so much power and symbolism to hair. In comparison to other parts of the body, though, it isn’t too hard to figure out. Our hair is a feathery decoration with which we can express ourselves - a silent emissary, one with a obvious and distinct point. And when an individual is losing (or has lost) his or her hair, all of the imaginitive possibilities for making the hair (or social) statement of his or her choice are gone. Mike, who is experiencing male pattern baldness, said, “I think it comes down to options.” Theresa agreed. “There’s no freedom… if you’re losing your hair, you’re awfully restricted… you feel confined…you feel caged.”

One’s physical appearance is, no doubt, the most clearly noticeable quality of being human and the one that is most apt to create or influence an impression, especially a initial impression.