Who needs hair anyway?

YOu are wrong. Hair indicates sign of health. By the way body hair is
different from scalp hair and there is absolutely no indication that
humans evolved towards less scalp hair. (BOdy hair yes Ape – Man)

Unfortunately this is one among the many feel good attitudes that
impedes real scientific scrutiny

Do you have any evidence (other than anecdotal or your opinion) to
support that male pattern baldness is an indication of the person’s
state of health? State some sources.

No sources are needed, just a knowledge of human development. Up til about
a thousand years ago, the average life span for a human was 33 years. For
men who lose their hair, loss starts in the late 20s/early 30s. In other
words, baldness occurs just before the man dies of old age (i.e. *not* in a
state of health).

People are just going on cultural knowledge and perceptions gleaned over the
centuries.

The best evolutionary explaination I have heard for balding is an
extension of Desmond Morris’ “Naked Ape” theory for why humans are
relatively hairless. Relative hairlessness makes sweating more effective as
a means of dissipating heat. So, humans can run down faster animals by
making them overheat. The price is that sweating is very profligate of
water. But uniquely, humans can carry their water with them. Hair was
left on the top of the head for both cosmetic reasons and becuase it gives
insulation and sun protection for an upright human at mid-day in the tropics.
Kind of like our own pith helmet.

But about one quarter of all heat production happens in the head, so
the evolutionary pressure still operated to keep the baldness gene in the
population.

BTW, the incidence of balding is one of only two things that are
lineraly related to aging in humans. The other is vital capacity. E.g.,
at age 35, about 35% of males show pattern loss, at age 60, about 60%, etc.
BTW, the incidence stops increasing after age 70, perhaps because of
selective dying off of people with severe pattern loss. So, it is not too
surprising that people associate baldness with being older.

As for health and longevity: severe pattern baldness is associated
with over a three-fold higher incidence of heart attack. This may be because
it signifies damage to the lining of blood vessels, which produce a
minoxidil-like substance, nitric oxide. Moral: take care of you arteries
and you will take care of your hair.