One of the enduring myths has been selling the link between stress and most of the ills that affect us in our high-powered modern lives. There's a major industry built on calming us down and helping us to relax. It doesn't matter which end of the scale you come from, there's always someone trying to separate you from your money. It can be books and self-improvement courses, sometimes dabbling in philosophies and introducing activities like yoga. Then there are spas for men (that's the massage without the sex, of course). Or beer. . . Or anti-anxiety drugs. . . You bet whatever you have left in your bank account that someone somewhere has just the thing to make you feel better about the financial struggle to keep a roof over your head, the threat of unemployment, and all the other side effects of one of the worst recessions we have ever seen in America.

And there's some truth in the myth about hair loss. You only have to look at what happens to people when the physical shock of chemo- or radio-therapy hits their bodies. It's the same for major surgery. The stress of treatment can cause hair loss. The only difference between the real world and the myth is that once this stress goes away, your hair grows back. In the more usual cases of premature balding, it's the reverse situation. There you are enjoying life. Everything is as good as it's going to get and, suddenly, you begin looking at the hairline in the mirror. The notion creeps up on you that there's more skin showing than usual. You begin to wonder. There's the first sign of worry and, before you can say, "Jack Robinson" or whatever passing for WTF these days, the stress is there because your hair is dropping out.

It would be good if we could write reassuring words at this point. All you have to do is have that very attractive young girl, who may actually be from Sweden, rub your head while playing some relaxing music and advising on breathing techniques to relax you even further. Except, there's absolutely no evidence to suggest that any type of relaxation techniques have any effect on male pattern baldness. Once it starts, the only thing that will stop it is Propecia. So there you have the brutal truth. No matter what any cold caller or high-pressure marketer may tell you, there are no natural products, no special stress-busting techniques to help you keep a full head of hair. If there had been such things, the centuries of practical experiments with every conceivable natural ingredients would have hit the jackpot.

So you either adapt your world view to accept baldness, or you start taking Propecia. Millions of men around the world lose their hair gracefully or accelerate the loss by shaving and going out proudly with heads smooth and polished. Those that try to cover up the loss are usually mocked for always wearing a baseball cap, even indoors, or suddenly appearing in what is so obviously a wig. Remember, if you do go down the drug line, you must start early and, as soon as you stop, the hair loss resumes. So starting the drug requires commitment. Decide what's most important to you and live with the consequences.