José Mota stops hair treatment due to side effects

Mota stops hair treatment: 'I prefer a receding hairline and thinning hair'

José Mota revealed on Cadena SER that he stopped taking medication for alopecia, even though it was working. The reason, stated plainly, was the treatment's side effects, which in discussions have been linked to erectile dysfunction. His summarizing phrase for the decision —'I prefer to have a receding hairline and thinning hair'— turns an intimate issue into a dilemma with a name of its own. The comedian was then presenting Arribatuto, his debut as a film director.

The price of keeping your hair

Medications for baldness —finasteride and dutasteride—, according to current debate, do not come without a cost. The most common accusation is that they alter hormonal balance and lead to consequences extending far beyond the head. Mota himself admits he trinc baldness research with interest, a process he personally links with masculinity.

Here lies the first fracture. For some, no amount of hair justifies altering the body's chemistry. For others, the problem is precisely the opposite: if the remedy is unsustainable, the alternative is to go bald and accept the social stigma that entails.

Invisible baldness or impotent thick hair

The most repeated reasoning is that there is no good option. With hair, one maintains appearance but something else fails; without hair, function is preserved but visibility is lost. The bitter conclusion many draw is that men lose out in either scenario.

Against this, another line of analysis downplays the drama. It points out that Mota's decision is only comfortable because he is rich and famous: he doesn't depend on others' opinions to pay his bills. For those without such a cushion, the calculation changes completely.

And this is where everything gets stuck. No one has measured how many men abandon these treatments due to side effects, nor how many start them knowing what they are signing up for. Public conversation remains at the level of a celebrity anecdote and does not delve into the numbers.