Scott Gulledge / Scroll Photo Illustration
Is it the mission that leaves young men without hair? David King, a senior from Provo, Utah, lost much of his hair on his mission.

Does a mission cause hair loss: the truth about balding

Tina Bosen BOS05003@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

Rumor has it that during a mission every elder will lose one of two things: his girlfriend or his hair.

A few glances around the BYU-Idaho campus will reveal more than a handful of young men who have less than a handful of hair on their heads.

A lot of this is due to genetics, but do missions have an effect?

Jeff Davis, a sophomore from Marysville, Wash., does not have as much hair as he always did. He has his suspicions about genetics and stress related causes.

“I honestly think my hair line receded most rapidly during my three months in the MTC,” Davis said.

Scientists say if the grandfather on the mother’s side is bald, her sons will receive the trait.

Davis said his grandfather on his father’s side has a receding hairline, but his father is completely bald.

“It has been my belief that bald is a dominant trait in men,” Davis said. “So since they both have it, I basically had no chance.”

Davis’ friend and roommate, Russell Sorenson, a freshman from Marysville, Wash., shares feelings about baldness in relation to fathers. His mother’s father has a full head of hair, yet his father does not.

“I’m sure I’ll go bald, like my dad,” Sorenson said. “But I don’t think it will be as fast as Jeff.” Davis had more stress in high school than Sorenson did.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica there are two types of balding: permanent hair loss — resulting mainly from male pattern baldness — and temporary hair loss.

Male pattern baldness occurs in 40 percent of males and starts gradually.

The trait has a hereditary base, but is affected by the varying level of male hormones circulating in the blood, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Stress also affects the varying degrees of baldness in each male.

As young men enter the MTC or the mission field, they are making huge lifestyle changes.

Leaving their home, family and comfort zone creates stress. That along with lack of vitamins may affect hair growth and follicle development.

Davis also thinks that when new missionaries cut their hair really short and part it for the first time it affects the hair growth.

“There’s a lot of stress on missions,” Sorenson said. “They cause a lot of guys to go bald.”

Although Davis would rather have more hair than not, he does not let it also affect his life. Nor does he try to hide it. Sorenson plans on shaving his head as it thins more.

“I prefer enlarging forehead rather than receding hairline,” Davis said. He also pointed out that in ancient Israel white and balding hair was considered attractive.

Ancient Israel may have embraced baldness, and those elders who lost their girlfriends can find someone else, but what can be done about balding young men?

Students at the Career Beauty College in Rexburg said they are educated on baldness and possible ways of fixing it.

Nioxin Thinning Systems is one product available and seems to work fairly well, as taught at the college.

Nioxin, like other such skin care products, cleanses, moisturizes and nourishes the scalp.

The idea is it cleanses really well, to get rid of as many layers of dead skin as possible.

Then, it strengthens the hair follicles so they can grow.

Pamphlets from the college give information about Nioxin. The product works best when used early and usually takes about nine months to make a great difference. It is all natural and includes no major chemicals.

From Dear John to Nioxin there’s a solution to everything.