Jason Statham Getty Images

What do Jeff Bezos, Kenneth Frazier and Steve Ballmer have in common? They are tremendously successful. And also bald.

Coincidence? Probably not. Men with bald heads are often seen as more dominant and successful by everyone around them, according to a study of the University of Pennsylvania.

The american scientist Albert E. Mannes, who just happens to be bald himself, conducted a study in 2012 with 59 subjects. He wanted to find out how people react to men with shaved heads by showing them a series of pictures.

The subjects got to see each photo twice, once of a man with a full head of hair and once of the same man with his hair shaved off. The subjects reported that they thought the bald men were more dominant, bigger and stronger.

One interesting detail: They had to be completely hairless. Bald patches or pattern baldness was seen as less attractive and weaker.

Seth Godin: „Bald men stand by what they have“

The tech-entrepeneur Seth Godin has been bald for 20 years now. He tried to explain why bald men tend to be seen as more dominant to the Wall Street Journal: „I’m not saying that shaving your head makes you successful, but it starts the conversation that you’ve done something active.“

But bald men are not just more powerful, they are also seen as more intelligent. A global study conducted by the psychologist Ronald Henss of the University of Saarland with over 20.000 subjects suggests that bald men are estimated to be older, but also seem wiser and more intelligent.

For a long time scientists believed that bald men were also more sexually potent because hair loss correlates with levels of testosterone.

But unfortunately it doesn’t quite work out that way. Hair loss is not directly caused by testosterone, but by the hormone DHT. DHT is a derivative product of testosterone, but it mainly affects hair follicles.

But dear baldies, don’t be discouraged: Many people still believe that bald men are more potent. A view that is only strengthened by the no-hair styles of recognized sex symbols like Jason Statham, Bruce Willis and Michael Jordan. Which places you and your masculinity in very good company indeed.