Baldness
秃头的烦恼
For many it means nothing at all, but to others it is the epitome of their identity. As humans, our appearance is often important to us and our hair plays a huge role. Whether you have long flowing locks or a swept back do, the way you wear your hair can say something about you. But what if you start to lose it?
对许多人来说，它毫无意义，但对另一些人来说，它是他们身份的象征。作为人类，我们的外表往往对我们很重要，而头发扮演的角色很重要。无论你是长发飘逸，还是留着背头，从你的发型中都能获取你的一些信息。但如果你开始失去它呢？
Forty per cent of men experience hair loss by the age of 35, according to the Belgravia Centre UK, one of Europe's largest hair loss treatment centres. This figure rises to 80% by the age of 80. And women are far from exempt from losing clumps of hair, with 50% of them suffering some form of hair loss in their life.
英国贝尔格拉维亚中心是欧洲最大的脱发治疗中心之一。该中心的数据显示，40%的男性在35岁之前经历过脱发。这个数字在80岁时上升到80%。而且女性也很难避免脱发，她们中有50%的人在生活中遭受着某种形式的脱发。
It starts with a receding hairline, followed by a thinning of hair on the crown of the head and temples and before you know it, your scalp is showing and you're completely bald. Every human naturally loses between 50 and 100 hairs a day, according to the UK National Health Service. Excluding hair loss caused by disease, baldness is genetic. It's related to the hormone testosterone, which causes a shrinking of hair follicles in susceptible adults. This results in the loss of so called 'terminal' adult hair and the production of much finer 'vellus' hairs - like those on the heads of babies.
它开始于发际线的后退，然后是头顶和太阳穴的头发变薄，在你意识到之前，你的头皮已经露出来了，你已经完全秃了。根据英国国民健康服务机构的数据，每个人每天自然会掉50到100根头发。除去疾病引起的脱发，遗传也是原因之一。它与睾丸激素有关，睾丸激素会导致易感成年人毛囊萎缩。这导致所谓的“终端”成年毛发的脱落，并产生更细的“羊皮纸”毛发——就像婴儿头上的毛发一样。
It can cause considerable damage to emotional health, including loss of self-esteem and confidence.' a spokesman for the British Association of Dermatologists told the BBC. But if you can't hide it with a comb-over, or a wig, what can you do? Well, the ancient Greek medic Hippocrates recommended a mixture of pigeon droppings, mixed with horseradish, cumin and nettles liberally applied to the pate. Since then there has been a liberal dose of tonics, creams, pills and hair replacement surgery. All of which have had mixed results.
“这会对情绪健康造成相当大的损害，包括自尊和自信的丧失。”英国皮肤科医生协会的一位发言人告诉BBC。但是如果你不能用梳子或假发伪装，那么该怎么做呢？古希腊医学家希波克拉底建议将鸽子粪便与辣根、孜然和荨麻混合涂抹在鱼头上。从那时起，就出现了大量的滋补品、面霜、药丸和头发置换手术。所有这些都产生了好坏参半的结果。
Now, a potential new cure has been found in a drug that was designed to treat osteoporosis. The research, published in PLOS Biology, states that the drug contains a compound that targets a protein which inhibits hair growth and plays a role in balding. In short, it stimulates hair to grow. Keep your hair on,though. Clinical trials need to take place to ensure the drug is effective and safe to give people.
现在，在一种治疗骨质疏松症的药物中发现了一种潜在的新疗法。这项发表在《公共科学图书馆·生物学》杂志上的研究表明，这种药物含有一种化合物，其作用是抑制头发生长的蛋白质，并在脱发中发挥作用。简而言之，它刺激头发生长。不过，请保持冷静。还需要进行临床试验，以确保药物是有效和安全的。
And besides, many would say that being bald improves a person's appearance. Researchers at The University of Pennsylvania asked male and female students to rate photographs of men according to their attractiveness, confidence and dominance. In all three categories, the bald men came out ahead - and not just by a hair's breadth.
此外，很多人会说秃顶能改善一个人的外貌。宾夕法尼亚大学的研究人员让男女学生根据男性的魅力、自信和主导地位对他们的照片打分。在所有三个类别中，秃头男性都名列前茅——而且差距不是一星半点。
So, whether you love it or hate it or whether it's happening to you right now, you aren't alone. A cure may very soon be on its way. Until then, relax and let your hair down.
所以，不管你喜欢还是讨厌，亦或是你正经历着脱发，你都不是特例。治疗方法可能很快就会出现。在那之前，放松下来。
词汇表
locks
头发
do
（多指女性为特殊场合做的）发型
hair loss
掉头发，脱发
clumps of hair
一把一把的头发
receding hairline
渐渐向后移的发际线，（男人）逐渐秃顶
thinning hair
头发变得稀疏
crown of the head
头顶
scalp
头皮
bald
秃头的
baldness
秃顶
hair follicle
毛囊
comb-over
把两侧头发梳到秃头部位的发型
wig
假发
pate
头顶（谑称）
keep your hair on
保持冷静，别生气
a hair's breadth
以细微之差
let your hair down
尽情地玩，放松下来