头秃警告！亚洲男性该如何迎头面对脱发危机？

Despite his father having an "m-shaped" hairline, Alex Han from northeast China never thought he'd experience hair loss in his 20s.

尽管父亲有一条“M型”的发际线，但来自中国东北的亚历克斯·韩从未想过自己会在20多岁时面临脱发问题。

While studies have suggested almost all Caucasian men will eventually face some degree of male pattern baldness -- and around half can expect to lose their hair by middle age -- Asian men, and East Asians in particular, have historically experienced the lowest incidence of hair loss in the world.

尽管研究表明，几乎所有的白人男性最终都会面临某种程度的男性秃顶——大约一半的人可能会在中年脱发——但亚洲男性，尤其是东亚男性的脱发率历来是世界上最低的。

A 2010 study from six Chinese cities found that fewer than 3% of men aged 18-29, and just over 13% of those in their 30s, experienced male pattern baldness. Earlier research from South Korea suggested that only 14.1% of the entire male population was affected, while Japanese men were found to develop male pattern baldness approximately a decade later than their European counterparts.

2010年的一项研究表明，在中国的6个城市中，年龄在18-29岁的男性中，只有不到3%的人面临男性秃顶的状况，而在30多岁的男性中，这一比例仅略高于13%。韩国的早期研究表明，只有14.1%的男性受到（秃顶）影响，而日本男性出现秃顶的时间比欧洲男性晚了大约10年。

A judge examines finalists at a 1957 baldness competition in Japan, where rates of hair loss have historically been among the world's lowest. 

在1957年的日本秃头大赛上，一名裁判正在审查决赛选手。该国的秃头率历来是世界上最低的。

Credit: Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

图片来源：Keystone Features/霍尔顿档案馆/盖蒂图片社

But as Han, now 34, later discovered, genetics isn't everything. Stress, poor diet, lack of sleep and smoking can all contribute to hair loss. And with lifestyles in China changing dramatically in recent decades, so too are the country's hairlines.

但是，现已34岁的韩后来才发现，（秃顶）并不是完全由遗传决定的。压力、不良饮食、缺乏睡眠和吸烟都可能导致脱发。近几十年来，中国生活方式发生了翻天覆地的变化，中国人的发际线也随之发生了变化。

It's an issue faced by many in Han's generation, and younger. A 50,000-person survey by the China Association of Health Promotion and Education reportedly found that the country's 30-somethings were going bald faster than any other group. Almost a third of respondents who were born in or after 1990 reported thinning hair, according to Chinese state media. A similar poll by Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University reportedly found that an astonishing 60% of students had experienced some degree of hair loss.

这是韩这一代以及更年轻一代中许多人面临的问题。据报道，中国健康促进与教育协会对5万人进行的一项调查发现，中国30多岁的人秃顶的速度比其他任何群体都要快。据中国官方媒体报道，在1990年或之后出生的受访者中，几乎有三分之一的人头发稀疏。令人惊讶的是，清华大学的一项类似的调查发现，60%的学生经历过某种程度的脱发。

Chinese state broadcaster CGTN went so far as to describe hair loss among the young as an "epidemic." But lifestyle changes have been accompanied by transformations in both technology and disposable income. Hair transplants are a viable solution for a growing number of men, and the Chinese market for the procedure is expected to hit 20.8 billion yuan ($2.9 billion) in 2020, more than four times what it was four years ago, according to market research firm Statistica.

中国国际电视台CGTN甚至将年轻人脱发描述为一种“流行病”。但是随着科技的发展和可支配收入的增加，人们的生活方式也发生了改变。越来越多的男人选择通过植发解决问题。根据市场研究公司Statistica的数据，2020年中国植发市场规模有望冲击208亿元（29亿美元），和四年前相比增长了四倍有余。

Han's fears mirror those experienced by men with receding hairlines around the world, namely the impact on his confidence, professional prospects and first impressions. "Hairstyles, for me, are critically important for men's first impressions," he said.

正如韩一样，全世界受发际线后移困扰的男性，都在感到担忧。比如脱发对他们的自信心、职业前景和第一印象造成了影响。“对我来说，发型是男性第一印象的决定因素。”韩说道。

But losing your hair may be especially difficult in countries where it's less common. The male beauty standards in East Asian popular culture -- from Korean K-pop to Hong Kong's movie industry -- often favor big hair and boyish looks. "In Asian cultures the younger generation really like idols like (Chinese pop band) TFBoys," Han said, adding that standards for white or black men are often different.

但是在脱发不太常见的国家，脱发者的处境尤其艰难。东亚流行文化中对男性的审美受到韩流和香港电影的影响，比较欣赏有茂密头发和稚嫩外表的形象。韩说：“在亚洲文化中，年轻一代非常喜欢TFBoys这样的偶像。”随后他又补充道，（年轻人）对黑人和白人的审美标准也存在差异。

For 37-year-old David Ko, a Seoul-based reporter who has previously written about his experience of hair loss, the lack of visibility of hairless men in South Korea "certainly plays a role in people feeling uncomfortable about going bald."

三十七岁的驻韩记者David Ko曾经写过自己的脱发经历，他在文章中还提到在南韩几乎看不见光头。“这肯定是面临秃顶问题的人们感到不安的原因之一。”

"Whenever there is a precedent, people tend to feel (more confident) to follow," he said in an email interview.

“只要有了先例，人们就会更有信心地跟随前人的脚步。”David在一场邮件采访中说道。

A Korean study in the International Journal of Dermatology found that balding men were considered older and less attractive by 90% of non-bald respondents. In 2018, National Human Rights Commission of Korea had to urge employers not to discriminate against hairless men, after a building management company was accused of asking a job applicant to wear a wig during his interview and rejecting him on account of his bald head, according to the Yonhap News Agency. (The unnamed company denied doing so).

《国际皮肤病学杂志》上的一项韩国研究发现，90%的非秃顶受访者认为秃顶男性更显老、更缺乏魅力。据韩联社报道，2018年，韩国国家人权委员会曾敦促雇主不要歧视秃顶男性，此前一家建筑管理公司曾被指控在面试时要求应聘者戴假发，并因其秃顶而拒绝录用（但该公司否认了这一做法的存在）。

Studies in the West -- while not always positive about how baldness is perceived by others -- suggest that the stigma may be lessened in countries where hair loss is more common. Research from the University of Pennsylvania, for instance, found that men were perceived as "more dominant, taller and stronger" when participants were shown their photos with the hair digitally removed.

西方的研究虽然并不总是对于“其他人如何看待秃顶”这一问题持肯定态度，但研究表明，在脱发较为普遍的国家，这种耻辱感可能会减轻。例如，宾夕法尼亚大学的研究发现，当采用技术手段去除照片中自己的头发时，参与者会觉得他们“更强势”“更高大强壮”。

Chinese American entrepreneur Saul Trejo, who has lived in various cities around Asia since 2011, began losing his hair while studying in Beijing. The 30-year-old said he "definitely noticed" the lower proportion of bald men in the city, compared to the US, and "it probably bothered me, but I tried to not let it." He also found that people were more comfortable than those in the West to pass comment -- even if in an entirely observational way.

美籍华裔企业家索尔·特雷乔自2011年以来一直辗转居住在亚洲的不同城市，当在北京学习时他开始脱发。这位30岁的男性说，他“明显注意到”北京秃头男性的比例比美国低，“这可能让我感到不安，但我尽量不让它影响到自己”。他还发现，与西方相比，人们不自觉的就会流露出自己对于秃顶的看法，即便有时只是透过眼神表达出来。

In 2018, Trejo underwent a hair transplant in Bangkok, where he was based at the time. While it took almost a year to see the final results, Trejo said his new hairline is "a major blessing," that "massively improved my dating life." Before-and-after images shared with CNN show a remarkable amount of hair restoration at the top and sides of his head.

2018年，特雷乔在曼谷工作时接受了植发手术。虽然术后他花了将近一年的时间才看到最终成效，但特雷乔说他的新发际线就是“一大好事”，“极大地改善了我的约会生活”。CNN分享的前后对照图片显示，他头顶和两侧的头发恢复得非常好。

Chinese American Saul Trejo, pictured before and after undergoing a hair transplant in Thailand. 

Credit: Saul Trejo

图为在泰国接受植发手术前后的美籍华裔索尔·特雷乔

图源：索尔·特雷乔

There are cheaper and less invasive treatments on the market. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba stocks thousands of restorative shampoos, serums and sprays, and has reported that more than 70% of customers buying anti-hair-loss products were born after 1980, according to the South China Morning Post (a newspaper owned by Alibaba).

市面上还有价格更低的微创治疗方法。据南华早报（阿里巴巴旗下的一家报纸）报道，中国电商巨头阿里巴巴储备了数千种生发洗发水、精华液和喷雾剂，并报告称，购买这些产品的顾客中超过70%的人是1980年后出生的。

Drugs like minoxidil and finasteride, available in the US since the 1980s and 1990s respectively, appear to be gaining traction in the region too. Sales of the former, which is commonly traded as Rogaine, are expected to grow 5% per year in Asia Pacific from 2018 to 2024, according to an industry report by Global Market Insights.

自上世纪80年代和90年代以来分别在美国上市的米诺地尔和非那雄胺等药物，似乎也颇受亚洲脱发群体的青睐。国际市场洞察公司的一份行业报告显示，在2018年至2024年期间，主要成分为米诺地尔的落建牌生发液在亚太地区的销量预计将以每年5%的速度增长。

Then there are also purported natural remedies. In traditional Chinese medicine, for instance, various herbs and plant extracts have long been touted as solutions to hair loss, though their effectiveness remains a matter of debate (one of them, polygonum multiflorum, or tuber fleeceflower, can even induce hepatitis if over-consumed).

还有一种所谓“自然疗法”的治疗手段。例如，中医以多种草药与植物提取物来治疗脱发的方法一直备受追捧，然而这种方法的功效仍存在很大争议（其中的一味名为何首乌的药草，在过量使用时甚至会诱发肝炎）。

In Korea, meanwhile, houttuynia cordata -- also known as fish mint, or chameleon plant -- can be brewed into a black liquid that is applied to the scalp, according to the journalist, David Ko, who received some from his concerned mother-in-law.

同时，在韩国，记者大卫·高的岳母出于担忧而给他寄过一些蕺菜——蕺菜（别名鱼腥草）能冲泡成一种黑色液体，可以涂在头皮上。

"I used it like a shampoo whenever I washed my hair," he said. "After wetting my hair, I poured a handful of the plant-steeped water on my scalp, finger-massaged my scalp for about one minute, then rinsed it off with fresh water.

"But as time went by without seeing any clear sign of improvement, I got so tired of the remedy that I dumped more of (it) on my hair each time to finish the jar faster and get the practice over with."

“我把这种黑色液体当成洗发液，在每次洗头发时使用，”他说，“在打湿头发后，我会将它少量倒在头上，手指按摩头皮大约一分钟，再用清水冲洗干净。

“然而时间一天天过去，我的头上一点也没有生发的迹象，这让我对这种疗法感到厌倦。每次我都往头发上倒更多的蕺菜液，这样我就能更快地消耗掉它，草草了事。”

He then tried other suggested home remedies. "My wife also nudged me to sprinkle some sea salts over my scalp instead of the plant water, and one of my co-workers told me her balding father benefitted from eating lots of black sesame seeds as a snack."

然后，他尝试了别人建议的其他家庭偏方。他说：“我的妻子让我在头皮上撒一些海盐，来代替植物水；我的一位同事告诉我她秃头的爸爸把黑芝麻当做零食，吃了很多之后脱发的问题有所改善。”

A ground-breaking Japanese study, published last year, grew hair follicles from scratch using stem cells. They were then successfully transplanted onto the backs of mice, though any resulting therapies remain a long way from ever being approved for humans (and in many countries, stem cell treatments are either highly restricted or completely outlawed).

去年，日本发表了一项开创性的研究，利用干细胞从零开始培养毛囊。这些毛囊已经被成功地移植到了老鼠的背部，但一切用于人体的相关疗法距离获批还有很长的路要走。（在很多国家，干细胞治疗要么受到高度限制，要么完全被禁止。）

Other novel responses to hair loss are now available in Asia. Scalp micropigmentation, for instance, involves tattooing thousands of tiny dots on patients' heads to give the illusion of shaved hair. A South Korean study in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Dermatology described the process as "one of the most effective treatment methods" for hair loss, reporting an average satisfaction rate of 4.8 out of 5 among the 80 patients interviewed.

在亚洲还有一些其他针对脱发问题的应对措施，例如，纹发，就是在病人的头皮上纹上成千上万个像毛囊一样的小点，让人产生他是剃光头发的错觉。在同行评审期刊《国际皮肤病学杂志》上有一项韩国的研究认为，这个方法是治疗脱发最有效的方法之一，在被采访的80名脱发患者中，它的平均满意度为4.8分（满分是五分）。

But, still, Asia poses unique challenges for receding men. Undergoing the scalp tattoo procedure requires patients to permanently sport a shaved-head look, which, as the Korean study suggested, may be "stereotyped in Asian cultures as (being like) a gangster or criminal." According to David Ko, however, such labels are a thing of the past.

但是，亚洲脱发男性又有了新的挑战，进行纹发手术后，患者将永远保持光头的形象。而韩国的一项研究表明，光头在亚洲文化中被认为是黑帮分子和罪犯们的形象。但是大卫·高认为这样的标签已经成为过去了。

"Back in the day, when young males shaved their heads, seniors would mildly chide them with a totally unproven and absurd hypothesis," he said, suggesting that elders once saw a skinhead as a sign that someone was a rebel, or had "a problem with society."

他说：“在过去，当年轻的男性剃光自己的头发，长辈们出于一些荒谬、莫须有的假设，会用温和的语气责备他们。”高认为，过去的长辈们把光头当做了一个人叛逆的标志，或者认为这个人有点反社会倾向。

Nowadays (these attitudes) almost never exist, but it is still true people look at bald males with a certain awe."

“现在这些看法几乎不存在了，但人们对秃头的男性仍抱有一定的畏怯之情。”

A model with a shaved head walks the runway at China Fashion Week in 2017. The rise of street style may be helping popularize the skinhead look.

Credit: Visual China Group / Getty Images

2017年的中国时装周上，一位剃光头的模特在走秀。街头风格的兴起可能有助于光头造型的普及。图片来源：视觉中国集团/盖蒂图片社

Eric But of Synergy Model Management, which has offices in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, said that clients are still often looking for Asian models to be "cute (with) long hair -- that Korean drama, perfect boyfriend kind of look." But while he distinguishes between shaved and bald heads, the modeling agent said that the rise of street fashion is gradually normalizing the skinhead look in Asia.

在香港和广州设有办事处的Synergy模特管理有限公司的埃里克·巴特（Eric But）说，客户仍然在寻找亚洲模特，“模特要长得可爱，留着长发，看起来像韩剧里的完美男友。”但是当他在辨别剃光头和秃头时，这位模特经纪人说，随着街头时尚的兴起，亚洲的光头造型越来越常见。

"For our parents' generation, a skinhead in Asia is kind of like a gangster -- if you want to be a triad, or if you go to prison, you have to shave your head," he said over the phone. "But now, for people born in the '90s or later, they see having a skinhead as a streetwear trend. And streetwear is massive in Asia."

他在电话中说：“对我们父母这一代人来说，在亚洲，光头有点像黑帮的人——如果你想加入黑社会，或者进监狱，你就得剃光头。但现在，对于90年代或之后出生的人来说，他们把剃光头看作是一种街头潮流。而且，在亚洲，‘街头风’非常流行。”

"It would be more helpful if there were more Koreans with hair loss --- if there were more cases (people) could look up to and think they are not alone out there."

“如果脱发的韩国人再多一点，如果人们能够看到更多的实例，知道自己不是唯一的脱发者，那更将会帮助改善人们对秃头的印象。”

Chinese artist Fang Lijun pictured with one of his paintings, which since the 1990s have often featured bald-headed protagonists. The artist uses the hairless figures as symbols of disillusionment and rebellion in modern China.

Credit: South China Morning Post / Getty Images

中国艺术家方立钧与他的一幅画作合影，自上世纪90年代以来，他经常把秃头作为画作的主角。艺术家把这些秃头人物作为现代中国幻灭和反叛的象征。

图片来源：南华早报/盖蒂图片社