By Myra Chen
The average person has anywhere between 80,000 to 120,000 strands of hair on their head. But for 39% of the male population, this number is significantly smaller, whether by choice or because of hereditary reasons. Either way, the stigma of baldness needs to go.
An inspiration for many Halloween costumes, Pitbull is the epitome of baldness. He rocks his look with a pair of sunglasses and a tuxedo. And he does so with the utmost confidence.
At Fountain Valley High School (FVHS), Pitbull takes the form of History teacher Michael Kral. For Kral, confidence wasn’t just acquired, but learned.
“Obviously when I was younger, it was a little bit hard because everyone else had hair and I didn’t. I lost my hair when I was 19, so it’s been a while but I’m cool with it now, I don’t mind at all,” Kral said.
Losing hair is not always ideal in a youth’s mind. But it’s what makes Pitbull a pitbull and not a poodle. And being a pitbull comes with many benefits. For one, maintenance is simplified.
“I don’t have to cut my hair and it’s easier getting ready, so my appearance hasn’t changed much since I began to lose my hair, compared to other people who slowly lose their hair,” Kral said.
With only so much one can do with a bald head, saving money on haircuts, time on styling and trips to the store for hair care products are a given. While some bald people may still use shampoo and conditioner, others save on money by making body wash a 3-in-1 product. Former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal belongs to the latter population.
The icon, legend and superstar Paul Lopez is a near perfect replica of Shaq, both mentally and physically. He is not afraid to make himself seen and doesn’t even consider buying into those hair restoration commercials; his bald head is a reminder of a happy moment.
“I was a football coach and I told my players that if we won, they could shave my head. Well, we actually shut the team out, they didn’t score any points,” Lopez said. “And so that night they shaved my head completely. That’s when it all started.”
And so it started and continued for twenty years into his career at FVHS. Carrying his title as principal can be heavy, so Lopez lessens his load with no hair and a shiny bald head. And it works. You see him often, seemingly in multiple places at once. It’s not because of his teleportation skills, but because of a combination of his tall stature and his lack of wind resistance.
Swimmers wear a cap while they swim. Why? To reduce drag. Swimmers with long voluminous hair often struggle stuffing their hair into their cap. The sleek finish of the cap does not translate into physical comfortability, especially when there are strands of hair poking their neck or covering their goggles. Well, bald people are in luck. Methods of reducing drag don’t even cross their mind; their head is sleek enough on its own. While Lopez is a principal on land, not in the water, the aerodynamics are there, just on an exponentially smaller scale.
While the average person has around 100,000 hairs, they also lose about 50-100 strands of hair in one day. This shedding can get annoying; feeling the uncomfortable sensation of a strand stuck somewhere on your body or in your mouth is annoying, especially when it feels glued on. Again, bald people are in luck. Pitbull (both the singer and the dog breed) and Shaq don’t experience this level of shedding. They don’t need to shed their coat in the summer because they don’t have a coat. At least, not a coat of hair.
Hair is an insulator that absorbs heat, contributing to the oil and sweat buildup on your scalp, especially on hot days. With no hair, sweat more easily evaporates and any grime can easily be cleaned off with a baby wipe, something not possible with a head of hair.
Shaq and Lopez have many similarities. But one thing they stray from each other is in their attempt to grow hair back.
“I’ve been bald for 20 years, so it’s just who I am now. In the beginning, I was like, okay, am I going to grow my hair back? But I’ve never done that my entire experience; I’ve never gone away from being bald,” Lopez said.
Lopez embraces his lack of hair as a part of his image, his identity. So does Shaq, but after a losing bet with a fellow basketball player, Dwayne Wade, he has decided to grow out his hair, a millimeter at a time.
If you are considering whether to grow back your hair or to continue to love all that is bald, make sure to choose the option that makes you most comfortable in yourself. Just keep in mind that bald is not a flaw.
