It’s really astonishing how I know, intuitively, this is true but how weird people’s priorities are.
Being honest:
1. I started balding at a relatively normal age (first signs late 20s). At first I welcomed it, then I got a little self conscious (and wished for greys instead, those are finally coming into my beard and I couldn’t be happier).
2. I’ve had dental health issues since childhood. My family couldn’t afford regular dental care and I’ve always worried about it.
3. My teeth have rapidly deteriorated in my late 30s. I can’t currently afford any dental care and I already know I’m looking at drastic solutions when I can.
Having both a thin head of hair and a mouth full of trash, I know what I’d prioritize given the chance to magically turn back time time or scientifically reverse the worst of my biology. And it’s not my hair.
Shaving/trimming/styling baldness is trivial. My mouth is an unavoidable turnoff, a constant terrible personal experience, and an ongoing health risk.
It’s bonkers to me that there’s more money in solving hair than solving teeth, even though I know it’s true.
I had a patient who was GOING BLIND and had a chance to get in a vision trial or a hair transplant trial but couldn't do both. He chose the hair trial. Over his own sight!!
I was really annoyed at him for a while because I had moved heaven and earth for him to help him screen into the highly competitive vision trial. But... his life, his choice. Even though he made a dumb one, imo.
You can close your mouth., but can’t stop someone from looking at your head.
You can surgically replace all your teeth with perfect replicas and no one will be able to tell otherwise except in how perfect they are. The cost for this isn’t low, but nor is it unobtainable. I bet $10k in Eastern Europe gets you nice teeth for the rest of your life.
There is just no great option for hair. Even with infinite money like Musk or Bezos, you have plugs or nothing.
For the vast majority of people who experience hair loss, it’s... normal and expected, maybe somewhat romantically limiting. Poor dental health can be poor health overall. Traveling to Eastern Europe to spend $10k for something I actually need is not an option for me.
Yeah I can close my mouth. And suffer. And let it keep rotting, crossing my fingers that related health impacts don’t get to me before I can pay a car’s value to get health care. Or people can look at my bald head and... nothing meaningful happened.
I appreciate your kindness in expressing this contrarian view, but it’s not helpful.
just because there's a giant market for (covering up) something, doesn't mean it isn't normal and expected. Women's leg hair comes to mind. Also wrinkle cream.
Advertising makes us do things we might not otherwise do, is what I'm saying.
There are multiple ways you can hide your hair (hats, caps, scarfs) while it's more difficult to hide your mouth/teeth. That said it's quite easy now during COVID times!
Being honest:
1. I started balding at a relatively normal age (first signs late 20s). At first I welcomed it, then I got a little self conscious (and wished for greys instead, those are finally coming into my beard and I couldn’t be happier).
2. I’ve had dental health issues since childhood. My family couldn’t afford regular dental care and I’ve always worried about it.
3. My teeth have rapidly deteriorated in my late 30s. I can’t currently afford any dental care and I already know I’m looking at drastic solutions when I can.
Having both a thin head of hair and a mouth full of trash, I know what I’d prioritize given the chance to magically turn back time time or scientifically reverse the worst of my biology. And it’s not my hair.
Shaving/trimming/styling baldness is trivial. My mouth is an unavoidable turnoff, a constant terrible personal experience, and an ongoing health risk.
It’s bonkers to me that there’s more money in solving hair than solving teeth, even though I know it’s true.