Florida’s First bald governor for 138 years

Florida has its first bald governor for 138 years, it has emerged.

The fact came to light after Republican politician John Thrasher suggested during campaigning that Rick Scott could become the state’s first ever governor. It turns out that Harrison Reed, who headed the state until 1873, holds that title.

History experts say that hair loss has proven detrimental to politicians in the past, because in the public eye, it is associated with ageing.

However, numerous successful politicians have had hair loss, including Jon McCain, British war-time leader Winston Churchill, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Greek President Karlos Papoulias.

Some commentators have pointed out that in the last presidential race, a man with a healthy head of hair and hair-line, Barack Obama, won over a bald man, John McCain. However, it is unlikely that McCain would blame his hair for his defeat.

Hair loss affects around half of men and is most commonly caused by male pattern baldness. Men typically begin to lose their hair during their 20s or 30s. Some cope well with losing their hair and are not fazed by baldness; but others find it devastating that their appearance has changed. They may lose self-esteem and start to feel less confident about themselves. For men such as these, the prescription baldness medication Propecia may help, as it can stem the progression of baldness, and even stimulate the growth of new hair cells.

While there is currently no cure for baldness, researchers are hopeful. A recent study gave experts a clearer impression of how the process that causes baldness works. It is hoped that this new insight, coupled with great interest in creating a baldness cure from pharmaceutical companies, could lead to a solution to male baldness in the not-too-distant future.