[Mz]

...but WHY is baldness considered something that is so badly in need of a 'cure'?

I will suggest that stuff like this matters to people because it is (or can be) indicative of other, more important stuff. I'm female. I had crappy fingernails most of my life. Then I got diagnosed with a serious medical condition (genetic, so I've had it all my life). This serious medical condition significantly impacts the lungs. It's common knowledge in the medical community that the lung damage shows itself as clubbing and cyanosis of the fintertips. Getting my lungs healthier and improving my baseline health has caused me to have significant improvement in my fingernails. I have the most lovely fingernails I've ever had in my life.

More directly related to the hair issue: While very ill, I began going grey in my early 30's. In hanging out on health lists, I heard that grey hair can be caused by a PABA deficiency and/or adrenal stress. I treated for both with supplements and dietary changes. I am 45 (and have a life expectancy in my mid thirties, so in human terms I'm like the equivalent of an octogenarian :-P) and have less grey hair now than I did 10 years ago.

So I think all these "silly" concerns about "looks" are really rooted in more serious concerns about health. People don't find unhealthy folks attractive both as a means to protect their own health and as a means to protect the health of potential future offspring.