# Homeless people (men) are rarely bald. Is there a reason? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664 "2005-02-11T23:08:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/21 "2005-02-13T14:13:43Z")
**Krokodil** ’s observation (corroborated by **astro** ) that there appears to be a higher percentage of black homeless men than white might be partially explained by the fact that blacks are less likely than whites to need to protect their heads from sunburn. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/22 "2005-02-13T14:18:41Z")
Correction in italics: \*\*Krokodil’\*\*s observation (corroborated by **astro** ) that there appears to be a higher percentage of black homeless men _who are bald_ than white might be partially explained by the fact that blacks are less likely than whites to need to protect their heads from sunburn. ---
**Author:** ![Paladud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Paladud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paladud)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/23 "2005-02-13T14:43:52Z")
Hijack: How often should one’s hair be washed to maintain a balance between hygiene and its continued attachment to one’s scalp? ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/24 "2005-02-13T15:01:59Z")
> [@Paladud](#): > > Hijack: How often should one’s hair be washed to maintain a balance between hygiene and its continued attachment to one’s scalp? I’ve heard the opposite, ie, that it’s important to get rid of the DHT-rich sebum that accumulates. Any problems with washing are probably a result of overly-harsh shampoos, the application of harsh hair gels, etc., and or blowdrying/combing. Shampoo that contains the anti-fungal ketoconazole (Nizoral) has been shown to be effective in slowing androgenetic alopecia. One theory is that it reduces inflammation-based hairloss while another proposes it inhibits DHT attachment to the follicle. ---
**Author:** ![theinformer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@theinformer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theinformer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/25 "2011-11-19T14:00:04Z")
Homeless people dont have the stress that working folk do. They have some stress about their next meal etc but they get so high they dont worry about that shit. Working people stress and worry about their job, their relationship, their finances, what to cook and the price of gas. Ever noticed how many bald accountants or lawyers there are? I’ve lost a bit of hair last couple years in the front not that bad but mostly I think from a stressfull breakup/seperation, financial stresses, and a VERY mentally demanding job. Baisically, the more you have to think, about things that require concentration and intense focus, the more you will be bald. If you live your life like a carefree homeless guy or a surfer, you wont go bald. Athletes go bald a lot because they run too much. If you do more exercise than average for a human then you produce more DHT and more likely to go bald too. Sources = reading, personal experience and deducation using common sense ---
**Author:** ![nudgenudge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9f8e36/32.png) [@nudgenudge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nudgenudge)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/26 "2011-11-19T14:36:24Z")
> [@theinformer](#): > > deducation I think I have a new favourite word. Deduction + education, I like it. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/27 "2011-11-19T15:00:28Z")
Well the ones not bald in February 2005 may well be bald by now… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/28 "2011-11-19T15:29:13Z")
I’m bald and not homeless. However, to maintain my baldness I shave my head once or sometimes twice a day. If I were homeless I would not be bald. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/29 "2011-11-19T15:31:41Z")
> [@theinformer](#): > > Homeless people dont have the stress that working folk do. They have some stress about their next meal etc but they get so high they dont worry about that shit. Working people stress and worry about their job, their relationship, their finances, what to cook and the price of gas. Ever noticed how many bald accountants or lawyers there are? I’ve lost a bit of hair last couple years in the front not that bad but mostly I think from a stressfull breakup/seperation, financial stresses, and a VERY mentally demanding job. Baisically, the more you have to think, about things that require concentration and intense focus, the more you will be bald. If you live your life like a carefree homeless guy or a surfer, you wont go bald. Athletes go bald a lot because they run too much. If you do more exercise than average for a human then you produce more DHT and more likely to go bald too. Sources = reading, personal experience and deducation using common sense How do you people find these threads? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/30 "2011-11-19T16:06:06Z")
What do you mean, “you people?” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/31 "2011-11-19T16:25:25Z")
> [@theinformer](#): > > Homeless people dont have the stress that working folk do. They have some stress about their next meal etc but they get so high they dont worry about that shit. Working people stress and worry about their job, their relationship, their finances, what to cook and the price of gas. Ever noticed how many bald accountants or lawyers there are? I’ve lost a bit of hair last couple years in the front not that bad but mostly I think from a stressfull breakup/seperation, financial stresses, and a VERY mentally demanding job. Baisically, the more you have to think, about things that require concentration and intense focus, the more you will be bald. If you live your life like a carefree homeless guy or a surfer, you wont go bald. Athletes go bald a lot because they run too much. If you do more exercise than average for a human then you produce more DHT and more likely to go bald too. Sources = reading, personal experience and deducation using common sense Right. Homeless people have no worries, like “How am I gonna eat today?” and “Where can I sleep that’s safe?” and “How can I get a job with no home/ How can I get a home with no job?” **Annie-Xmas** , formerly homeless. And when I was, I worried damn near every minute of every day. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/32 "2011-11-19T16:28:21Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Right. Homeless people have no worries, like “How am I gonna eat today?” and “Where can I sleep that’s safe?” and “How can I get a job with no home/ How can I get a home with no job?” > > **Annie-Xmas** , formerly homeless. And when I was, I worried damn near every minute of every day. But are you bald? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/33 "2011-11-19T16:32:14Z")
No. But I’m not a man either. ETA: And thanks for the laugh. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/34 "2011-11-19T16:43:22Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > No. But I’m not a man either. > > ETA: And thanks for the laugh. Glad you took it that way. You lobbed one right over the plate! ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/35 "2011-11-20T04:14:14Z")
What’s with the Zombie threads today? ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/36 "2011-11-20T04:58:33Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > What do you mean, “you people?” Simple farmers . . . people of the land, the common clay of the new West. You know–morons! ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/37 "2011-11-20T05:09:53Z")
I used to run a homeless deducation center for balding zombies. Govmint shut me down. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/38 "2011-11-20T05:25:12Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > What do you mean, “you people?” Every day there is a new zombie resurrected by a brand new member with no posting history. “You people” refers to the new members with no posting history. This thread in particular is a good example. What in the world is someone searching for, that a general questions thread about baldness among the homeless is one of the returned results? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/39 "2011-11-20T05:45:57Z")
I know that. It was a joke. See [this clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAlVKgl_zCQ) from Tropic Thunder by way of explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664/40 "2011-11-20T23:31:06Z")
Natural selection: Hair provides insulation for cold winters. Bald/balding bums are more susceptible to hypothermia, which accounts for their relative paucity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homeless-people-men-are-rarely-bald-is-there-a-reason/289664.md?page=3)