What do Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Uday Chopra and Sunny Deol have in common? Allegedly, apart from great physique, it is their new mop of hair! A clandestine trip to Dubai, and 10 hours on, the actors come out looking as good as new. And it doesn’t just stop with actors. Dubai is the hotspot for normal folks as well who want to cover their balding pate. For businessman Rajeev Makhija it was an option he was glad existed. “I am just 25 and my receding hairline was worrying me. It’s not like only actors have the need to look good. We do too,” says this metrosexual male.
A quick weekend trip to the shopping capital, around `1 lakh for one sitting and Rajeev felt like a new man. “It makes me look younger and more confident,” he adds about the painful procedure.
This trend is something that Laado TV actor Manoj Chandila has also noticed. “Instead of this men should concentrate on eating the right kind of food and exercising properly.” He feels the use of steroids and muscle enhancing supplements also leads to baldness. So getting to the root of the problem is the answer, according to him. “Kuch log hain jo bahut mehnat karte hain but eat rubbish. Just blindly aping celebs is not the answer.”
From Shane Warne to Mel Gibson, even politicians like Silvio Berlusconi have been very open about their new look. But the fact that baldness is now affecting the younger generation, is a cause for concern. No longer do toupes and comb-overs work and young men are looking for solutions. “If women can have breast implants, why not hair transplants for men?” asks model Bassam Mallick. “Going bald can be a difficult thing for men. It can affect their self image and confidence that in turn affects their dating game.” He feels it becomes more important for celebs to maintain their public image. “It’s a fashion statement now, the kind of hair you sport on your head!”
Assistant director to Mani Ratnam, Navzar Erane too has seen his friends enquiring about this procedure. “Who wouldn’t like a head full of hair,” he asks adding, “The ones who say they are comfortable being bald are lying. And hair transplants are not frowned upon any more. Even college students go for it. It is painful but when you see the results, it’s worth it.”
So for those follically challenged men, it seems to be the right time to show off that new rug on your head!