“Bro, do you think I’m balding? Be honest.” Haseef stares at me, running a hand through his hairline with a concerned expression. Shoaib chimes in, “Yeah, I heard if your mom’s dad has hair, you’re safe. That’s true, right?”

It’s a conversation that repeats itself among many young men across dorm rooms, barbershops, and group chats. The moment men notice a thinning patch, panic sets in—sometimes leading to frantic Google searches, next-day deliveries of minoxidil, or even scoping out flights to Turkey. But before jumping to conclusions (or booking procedures), it’s worth understanding what’s really going on beneath the scalp.

Male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, is the most common cause of hair loss. It’s primarily driven by dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone derived from testosterone. DHT binds to the hair follicles, causing them to shrink over time, and resulting in hair becoming thinner, shorter, and eventually stopping growing altogether. The M-shaped receding hairline and thinning crown are the telltale signs of DHT’s effect on hair follicles and growth. 

Genetics plays a massive role in determining who receives the balding gene and when. But it’s not just about your maternal grandfather. Baldness is polygenic, meaning it’s influenced by multiple genes from both parents. A 2017 study published in PLOS Genetics found that while the maternal X chromosome does carry genes associated with baldness, other genetic markers across the entire genome contribute to hair loss. Essentially, your grandfather might have had a full head of hair, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook when it comes to hair loss.

For many men, hair is more than just the strands themselves—it’s a symbol of youth, confidence, and even masculinity. Society tends to associate a thick mane with attractiveness and vitality, and often, hair loss can lead to lowered self-esteem and even body dysmorphia or depression.

However, all is not lost: bald can be beautiful. Research suggests that men who fully embrace baldness—shaving it all off rather than clinging onto the last strands—are perceived as more confident and strong. A study conducted by Albert E. Mannes in 2012 found that men with shaved heads were rated as more dominant than similar men with full heads of hair. Take Amazon’s Jeff Bezos for example, a pioneer of the smooth and shiny movement. 

If embracing baldness isn’t the move, fear not, science has some promising solutions. Hair transplants—where healthy follicles from the back of the scalp are moved to balding areas—have become incredibly advanced. Turkey, known as the hair transplant capital of the world, offers thousands of clinics that perform procedures for a fraction of U.S. prices. Fueled by demand, Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) has become the gold standard, leaving minimal scarring and providing natural-looking results. 

Besides transplants, stem cell therapy and hair cloning are on the horizon. Scientists are experimenting with hair follicle regeneration, aiming to multiply a patient's existing follicles in a lab before implanting them back into the scalp. In addition to this, pharmaceutical treatments such as finasteride (which blocks DHT) and minoxidil (which stimulates hair growth) remain popular. However, these treatments come with side effects ranging from reduced libido to skin irritation. 

So, to all the men out there reading this, the bad news is yes, you could go bald, and no, your maternal grandfather isn’t the only factor. The good news? Whether you choose to fight it with science or embrace the Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson look, there’s no shortage of options. And if all else fails, Turkey’s always a flight away.