[Udo]

> I will also note that women tend to talk less about men and their physical attributes than men do about women and their physical attributes

This has not been my experience.

> I'm sorry this is such a huge issue for you.

It's not, actually. Mainly I just enjoy the discussion.

Actually, you make an interesting point. I believe there is a social norm involved that tells men they have to like large breasts or else they're gay/weak/whatever. I do know a few men who are really and credibly into huge pendulous breasts, but I also know some who just try to conform to the "standard" outwardly and privately they prefer them smaller.

So your point is that women prefer hair because being bald is a social stigma, being an analogous process to the stigmatization of preferring small breasts? I'm not convinced, but it's an interesting thought.

[thaumaturgy]

I didn't really want to derail this into a conversation about boobs; the takeaway should have been that, while certain physical attributes are more or less appealing to most people, the particulars matter a lot less than the attractiveness of the person as a whole.

[Udo]

I think the boob analogy was interesting, so why not talk about it.

But to bring this back together: my main hypothesis really comes down to the point that "hair" trumps "no hair" if all other factors are eliminated. Sure some people may look awesome without hair, and most men can make up for this and other shortcomings in many ways.

I agree, the whole person counts. But I assert that even an attractive and successful bald man would be more desirable if he had hair. And for the not so attractive and successful, the difference of having hair can be the whole bowl of wax.

[Mz]

So your point is that women prefer hair because being bald is a social stigma, being an analogous process to the stigmatization of preferring small breasts?

I wouldn't put it that way. Some thoughts, since you kind of asked:

The main analogy I was making was that just as men who prefer smaller breasts don't necessarily go crowing about it, women who prefer baldness may also keep their mouths shut.

As for an actual reason to not prefer baldness, see my other remark in this thread about how "looks" are indicators of health: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2409000

As for preferring older men: I think women prefer older men because they make better mates for a variety of reasons. Yes, for some women the financial success of an older man has a lot of appeal. But I really think it's a lot more complicated than that.

My recollection is that male pattern baldness is associated with hormonal stuff. So for some women I can see that being a reason to be drawn to it -- if it looks like the "genetic"/hormonal variety and not some indicator he's just not healthy.