‘Manxiety’ in 2021: Over half of men shaved their heads after a bad pandemic haircut

Survey focusing on men’s insecurities reveals that 43% have sought to ‘reset themselves’ over the past year, while 53% admit their self-confidence hit rock bottom during lockdown.

NEW YORK — Getting haircuts at home during a pandemic is apparently teaching men a new lesson, bald is beautiful. Over half of men say they shaved their hair off completely after receiving the worst haircut of their lives during COVID-19.

The survey of 2,000 American men finds 45 percent have experienced a bad haircut over the last year and 57 percent hated it so much, they took drastic measures by buzzing it all off.

Forty-two percent of respondents took advantage of their time off during quarantine by experimenting with their looks. These manly makeovers include trying different hairstyles (61%), new clothing styles (52%), and growing out their beards (40%). Four out of five (82%) believe their experiments were successful and will be keeping their new makeover post-pandemic.

Commissioned by GAINSWave and conducted by OnePoll, the study also discovered two in three men had moments in their lives that made them feel insecure about themselves.

What makes men feel insecure?

Male InsecuritiesSome insecurities that men have endured revolve around problems with weight gain (46%), quality of life (41%), and sexual performance (37%). Others feel insecure in areas such as hygiene, sexual and gender identity, and social anxiety. In the bedroom, over a third of men (35%) struggle to get turned on and 37 percent struggle to admit they’re having sexual performance issues.

Close to half the poll (48%) add not being able to satisfy their partner in bed makes them feel depressed. For 32 percent, the pandemic is lowering their libido more than ever. Even though 35 percent believe bad sex is taking a toll on their relationships, only 38 percent of men have actually spoken with their partner about their sexual insecurities.

Aside from feeling low during sex, four in 10 compensate for their insecurities on a regular basis; with 53 percent saying their self-confidence reached an all-time low during lockdown. These men are doing anything they can to feel more secure — from applying homemade acne remedies to buying new and expensive cars.

“Men suffer from all kinds of insecurities, with erectile dysfunction being one of them. Taking supplements or PDE-5 inhibitors (pills) are the most common go-to short-term solutions for men experiencing erectile dysfunction. However, there is a critical third element that is often overlooked: the pipes,” says Urologist Dr. Judson Brandeis of GAINSWave in a statement.

Looking to embrace their shortcomings

Male InsecuritiesMore than half of men (53%) want to overcome and embrace their insecurities, but don’t know where to start. Fifty-four percent are already starting this journey. Overall, 43 percent of men have taken the past year to “reset themselves,” with many changing their diets (56%), improving their mental health (53%), and physical appearance (52%).

“In the past year, we’ve seen men with a lot of time to themselves. Some may have gotten into better shape, some may have started new jobs, but among these acts, we’ve seen a lot of men start to embrace their insecurities and grow from them,” adds Urologist, Dr. Bruce B. Sloane. “Facing ED head-on is just one way to grow out of insecurities. Every man needs to learn it’s okay to accept outside help. That’s exactly what we exist to do.”

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