Of all the issues being debated in the final weeks before the midterm elections, probably no one expected hair loss to take center stage.

But Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, embroiled in a tight race against Democratic challenger Mary Burke, is being asked tough questions about his bald spot.

Walker went on record with the Wisconsin State Journal Oct. 18 saying that his bald spot was caused when he hit his head on a kitchen cabinet door. He kept pushing off his wife’s suggestions to have the scar examined; by the time he did visit a doctor, he said, he was told that he’d never grow hair there again.

Walker shared the story as a lighthearted anecdote — the moral being that he ought to have listened to his wife. But he’s gotten some very real responses.

Serious Allegations Amidst Silly Responses

The incident, somewhat humorously labeled as “PateGate,” has hair loss experts all over the country weighing in on whether or not such an accident could have actually caused the bald spot.

And political opponents are using Walker’s statements to cast doubt on his honesty.

Liberal group One Wisconsin Now put out a pun-filled press release skewering Walker on his record. “It’s funny to think Gov. Walker would blame a cabinet for causing his male pattern baldness, but his pathological inability to tell the truth is making Wisconsin a joke,” said Executive Director Scot Ross.

“Gov. Walker, that’s what guys in our mid-40s do, we lose our hair sometimes,” Ross continued. “On issue after issue, Gov. Walker has made hair-raising excuses and offered bald-faced distortions.”

Most outlets are dismissing the issue as a “silly” distraction, many even noting that “Scott Walker’s Shiny Bald Spot” has its own Facebook page (with 700 likes as of Oct. 27), but coverage has continued nonetheless.

Still other commentators have chimed in discussing the enormous pressure on politicians and celebrities to avoid the stigma associated with male pattern baldness.

“Male pattern baldness has always been an important issue in political campaigns,” says Parsa Mohebi, MD. “Considering the hairlines of every elected president since 1961, it seems like people are more likely to trust candidates with full heads of hair, rather than ones who are balding. We have done a study in which we evaluated the effect of hair restoration in different social and psychological aspects of men with male pattern baldness. The results showed us that hair restoration can positively affect men’s self-esteem, energy level, anxiety, career, and sex lives. Fortunately, even if you aren’t running for office, staying bald is only optional, thanks to modern hair restoration methods.”

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