Summary
The hypothesis according to which male common baldness has developed in the human species as a compensation for the growth of a beard in order to achieve heat loss has been tested. In 100 clean-shaven men direct measurement of the area of glabrous skin on the forehead and calvaria was found to be proportional to that of the hairy skin on the lips, cheeks, chin and neck. During light hyperthermia the evaporation rate on the bald scalp was 2 to 3 times higher than on the hairy scalp. Conversely the evaporation rate was practically equal on he foreheads and chins of women and unbearded young men, while in adult clean-shaven bearded men it was 40% less on the chin than the forehead.
These results support the hypothesis that male baldness is a thermoregulatory compensation for the growth of a beard in adults.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amoros C, Sagot JC, Libert JP, Candas V (1986) Sweat gland response to local heating during sleep in man. J Physiol (Paris) 81:209–215
Baker MA (1982) Brain cooling in endoterms in heat and exercise. Ann Rev Physiol 44:85–96
Bittel J, Henane R (1975) Comparison of thermal exchanges in men and women under neutral and hot conditions. J Physiol (London) 250:475–489
Cabanac M, Brinnel H (1985) Blood flow in the emissary veins of the human head during hyperthermia. Bur J Appl Physiol 54:172–176
Candas V, Libert JP, Vogt JJ (1982) Thermophysiological responses to humid heat. J Physiol (Paris) 78:240–242
Caputa M (1981) Selective brain cooling an important component of thermal physiology. In: Szelenyi and Szekely (eds) Contribution to thermal physiology. Oxford: Pergamon Press
Caputa M, Perrin G, Cabanac M (1978) Ecoulement sanguin réversible dans la veine ophtalmique: mécanisme de refroidissement sélectif du cerveau humain. CR Acad Sci Paris 870:1011–1014
Crawshaw LJ, Nadel ER, Stolwijk JAJ, Stamford BA (1975) Effect of local cooling on sweating rate and cold sensation. Pflügers Arch 354:1927
Cunningham DJ, Stolwijk JAJ, Wenger CB (1978) Comparative thermoregulatory responses of resting men and women. J Appl Physiol 45:908–915
Ebling FJ, Rook A (1979): Rook A, Wilkinson DS and FJG Ebling (eds) Textbook of Dermatology. Blackwell, Oxford
Falk D (1986) Evolution of cranial blood drainage in hominids: enlarged occipital/marginal sinuses and emissary foramina. Am J Phys Anthropol 70:311–324
Falk D, Conroy GC (1983) The cranial sinus system inAustralopithecus afarensis. Nature 306:779–781
Fialkowski KR (1978) Early hominid brain evolution and heat stress: a hypothesis. Stud Phys Anthropol 4:87–92
Fox RH, Goldsmith R, Hampton IFG, Lewis HE (1964) The nature of the increase in sweating capacity produced by heat acclimatization. J Physiol 171:368–376
Froese G, Burton AC (1957) Heat loss from the human head. J Appl Physiol 10:235–241
Fukada K (1980) Hormonal control of neurotransmitter choice in sympathic neurone culture. Nature 287:553–555
Guthrie RD (1970) Evolution of human threat display organs. Evolutionary Biol 4:257–302
Hamilton JB (1942) Male hormone stimulation is a prerequisite and an incitant in common baldness. Am J Anat 71:451–480
Hamilton WJ (1973) Life's color code. New York: McGraw Hill
Hessemer V, Brack K (1985) Influence of menstrual cycle on shivering, skin blood flow, and sweating responses measured at night. J Appl Physiol 59:1902–1910
Hertzman AB, Randall WC, Peiss CN, Seckendorf R (1953) Regional rates of evaporation from the skin at various environmental temperature. J Appl Physiol 5:153–161
Hertzman AB, Roth LW (1942) The absence of vasoconstrictor reflexes in the forehead circulation. Effects of cold. Am J Physiol 136:692–697
Hirata K, Nagasaka T, Sugano Y (1978) Effect of alternating respiratory pathway on respiratory capacity and tympanic and forehead skin temperatures during exercise. JJ Aerospace Environ Med 15:8–13
Kherumian R (1948) Technique de la morphologie cranio-faciale. Sem Hop 24:383–389
Landis SC, Keefe D (1980) Development of cholinergic sympathetic innervation of eccrine sweat glands in rat food pad. Soc Neurosc Abstr 6:379
Martin R (1958) Lehrbuch der Anthropologie in systematischer Darstellung. G. Fischer, Stuttgart
Montagna W, Parakai PF (1974) The structure and function of the skin. New York: Academic Press
Narebski J (1985) Human brain homeothermy during sleep and wakefulness: an experimental and comparative approach. Acta Neur Exper 45:6375
Ogawa T (1984) Regional difference in sweating activity. In: Hales JRS (ed) Thermal Physiology Raven Press, New York
Oagawa T, Asayama M (1986) Quantitative analysis of the local effect of skin temperature on sweating. Jpn J Physiol 36:417–422
Olivier G (1960) Pratique anthropologique. In: Vigot Frères (eds) Paris
Olivier G (1976) Anatomie anthropologique. In: Vigot Frères (eds) Paris
Salier K (1962) Schema zur Untersuchung des menschlichen Haarkleides. Ant Anz 61:409–410
Sawka MJ, Young AJ, Francesconi RP, Muza SR, Pandolf KB (1985) Thermoregulatory and blood responses during exercise at graduated hypohydration levels. J Appl Physiol 59:1394–1401
Setty LR (1970) Hair patterns of the scalp of white and negro males. Am J Phys Anthropol 33:49–56
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
A preliminary report was given in CR Acad Sci (Paris) 299:499–502. Cabanac M, Brinnel H, Mallet C (1984) La calvitie est-elle un processus thermorégulateur adaptatif?
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cabanac, M., Brinnel, H. Beards, baldness, and sweat secretion. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 58, 39–46 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00636601
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00636601