He publicly pokes fun at big brother William’s receding hairline but Prince Harry will soon be on the receiving end of bald jokes.
Photos of the 28-year-old royal in Africa last month show his hair is noticeably thinning on the crown, suggesting his famous ginger locks are succumbing to the male pattern baldness that has plagued William and their father Prince Charles.
Leading British hair loss expert Dr Asim Shahmalak says Harry’s hair began thinning in 2011, with his growing bald spot clearly visible in footage from the royal wedding.
Dr Shahmalak says the Windsor family history made it almost inevitable that Harry would lose his hair eventually, and predicts Harry will be “significantly” bald by the time he is 40.
“There is a strong family gene on both sides of Harry’s family,” Dr Shahmalak told the Daily Mail newspaper.
“He is lucky that it has kicked in a bit later than his brother William – but the signs are not good for Harry.
“If Harry’s hair loss progresses in the normal way, I would expect him to have a significant bald patch around his crown by the time he is 40. It will be worse if it also spreads to his hairline as it has with his brother.”
More worryingly, Dr Shahmalak says going bald can have a massive psychological impact on young bachelors.
“Hair loss can have a devastating impact on a young men like Harry,” he said. “It can shatter their confidence and lead to significant loss of self-esteem.
“Their options in covering up their baldness are limited. It would be difficult for Prince William, for instance, to shave his head, which is what a lot of men do to hide their baldness. A royal with a crew cut just doesn’t seem right somehow.”
Harry has frequently joked about his brother’s hairline, once quipping William was “already bald aged 12”.
