Few willing 'toupee' for easy baldness remedy

Feb 2005

Although many men see their hair thin out as they age, few are willing to wear the stigmatized easy fix: a wig.

Most people steer clear of wigs to hide their baldness.

More than 25 percent of Japanese men -- about 13 million of them -- are estimated to have thinning hair, according to an annual survey in 2004 by wig maker Aderans Co.

Of Japan's roughly 120 million people, 930,000 wear made-to-order wigs, according to Aderans, which calculated the figure from its estimated market share.

Aderans, which holds the largest market share for wigs, says about 70 percent of its new customers are female. Back in 1982, fewer than 10 percent of Aderans' new customers were female, it said.

Aderans blames the decrease in male customers on the graying population, reasoning that men in their 20s and 30s tend to be more conscious about their appearance and are therefore more likely to be coaxed into wearing a wig.

The thinning number of men willing to wear a toupee has also been blamed on the growing popularity of RiUP, a hair-growth tonic released in 1999 by Taisho Pharmaceutical Co.

But a key factor is the stigma attached to being seen wearing a rug.

"Wigs do not bear a good image because some media make fun of them," Aderans spokesman Kosuke Mochizuki said. "Wig use is considered something to hide."

Tabloid papers occasionally run "wig allegations," speculating which celebrities are wearing wigs, with the kind of zest usually reserved for uncovering extramarital affairs.

Aderans says its state-of-the-art technology, including lifelike synthetic hair, has failed to convince potential users to try on a rug.

"People find out about it soon," a 55-year-old salaried worker said. "It's so obvious. You can't hide it."

He said that when he was in his late 20s, he tried almost everything to stimulate hair growth to cover his balding pate, spending several million yen on an untold variety of hair-growth tonics and visits to clinics.

But now, asked about his hair -- or rather the lack of it -- he said: "I don't care. It's a matter of self-confidence."