Ne-yo went bald at 13

Ne-yo has revealed that he began to go bald at the age of just 13.

Speaking to the Sun, the US R&B star and chart sensation Ne-yo admitted he found his hair loss hard to deal with as a teen. “I initially started wearing hats to cover up my shame”, he confessed. “Now I don't give a damn.” The 30 year old insisted “I can be sexy without hair!”

Around 1 in 2 men go bald after the age of 30, most of them due to male pattern baldness. Hair loss before the age of 20 is rarer. Some young people go bald as the result of alopecia arreata, a form of hair loss that causes patchy hair. It can lead on to more serious forms of hair loss.

Baldness has traditionally been a big worry for older men. Many turn to medications such as Propecia, expensive wigs, or even hair transplant operations, in order to avoid total hair loss. However, baldness pride may be on the increase. A survey published this month showed that British men are more concerned about going grey than going bald. Half of men questioned said they were worried about greying hair. In comparison, 40% of men said baldness played on their mind.

As Ne-Yo announces that he is proud of being bald, some commentators have said that the baldness is even in fashion. A major fashion designer recently launched a new range of clothes, using models who wore ‘baldness caps’.

In most cases baldness is a natural process. Many celebrities who are considered attractive are bald. This includes Vin Diesel, Bruce Willis and Enrique Iglesias. If you are going bald, and don’t feel comfortable with it, you should speak to a doctor about the best way forward.