While suffering in silence is not unusual for many men dealing with male pattern baldness, the concept of opening up about such a socially taboo subject for British men is almost unfathomable in their culture. Listen as one of UK caller describes how his hair loss traumatized him and how this extremely common condition is not so common to discuss even amongst “friends.”

Caller:  And that is exactly my experience. It was traumatizing. I felt like I had a constant rock in my chest just sort of with worry, you know, and just sort of and also how I would hold myself. I couldn't stand, like, if I sort of [inaudible 00:00:34] to pick something up was someone gonna say something. Nobody did say anything. But I was just constantly waiting for someone to say, "Oh look at your hair" or "what's up with your hair, mate?" or something like that.

Spencer: You're lucky no one's saying anything because I had "friends" who are no longer my friends. I made that choice a long time ago, who pointed it out. As one guy worked in a bar, he was a bouncer at a bar and I grew up with this guy. This girl's chatting me up. She has no idea I'm losing my hair, yet. It wasn't noticeable to anybody else. And he actually said to this person, this is how f*cked up people are. You were mates. I know you guys call them mates. He said: "Why are you talking to this guy, he's gonna be bald in a year?" And I was just like ... my entire world was crushed! You know?

Caller: Oh!

Spencer: And, anyway, now the guy's like a Norwood 6 and he can go f*ck himself. That's the way it is. That's karma.

Spex: Oh, yeah.

Caller: He sounds horribly insecure.

Spencer: Well, and that's the thing. It was always one of these things where, you know, I guess I was a cute kid and he saw that weakness and as soon as he saw that weakness, man, it was just like, he went for the jugular.

Spex: Well, that's it, isn't it?

Spencer: Yeah.

Spex: That's it.

Men always, you know, it's the locker room banter always looking for somebody else's weakness.

Spencer: Yeah.

Spex: And the throw-away comments. Nobody actually realizes how loaded those comments are in terms of how it can affect the receiver of the comment, you know? They're brutal. Brutal.