Tucci-gate was instructive, as it illustrated how “bald is sexy” has become normalised in Western pop culture, despite huge advances in the science to stop hair loss.

The trope was so ingrained that some very bald leading men, such as Sean Connery and John Travolta, would don the most ridiculous wigs to maintain the fiction on screen.

The situation is markedly different today, of course, with Hollywood, professional sports and all walks of life much more accepting of men combating male pattern baldness with a buzz cut; indeed, there is perhaps more stigma attached to fighting the losing battle with strategic combing and wearing hats.

Normalisation of baldness comes at a time when the science of hair loss has never been more advanced.

“There’s never a time a man needs to give up on his hair,” says Stephen O’Brien, a director of the London Centre of Trichology and a hair loss expert who has been working in the industry for over 20 years.

“There are so many options available depending on how much hair he has lost, be it transplant or hair replacement systems or hair lotions or even concealers.”

Transplants are at the top end of treatments in terms of price and effectiveness, says O’Brien, with prices starting at £3,000 (US$4,150). “Transplants are usually reliable but you have to consider that you may lose further hair in the future, so one session may not be enough,” he adds.

Among the famous men to have opted for transplants with successful results include Elton John, Matthew McConaughey, Elon Musk, Jeremy Piven, Robbie Williams, cricketer Shane Warne and AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys.

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“Career-wise, it had an impact; in terms of the range of leading roles I’ve had since then, [implants have] probably helped,” Nesbitt said in an interview with the BBC.

Less expensive non-invasive treatments, and less effective to a certain extent, include scalp massages and brand name drugs Minoxidil and Finasteride, says Tim Ho, an assistant general manager at Hong Kong-based clinic Hair Forest.

Minoxidil, a lotion that works by stimulating the shrunken hair follicles, is generally prescribed for people with genetic hair loss but can cause scalp inflammation in some cases and has to be used constantly.

Finasteride comes in tablet form and combats the detrimental effects of the hormone DHT on hair follicles.

Treatments like scalp massages, lotions and tables need to be constantly undertaken to maintain new hair growth, but Ho says Hair Forest clients don’t mind so much.

“Some clients may come for regular treatments even if they no longer have hair loss problems. [They see them the same way] as regular facial treatments,” he says.

For men with more severe hair loss, hope is not lost, says O’Brien. “Hair replacement systems are a good option, especially for clients who have lost a lot of hair, perhaps too much for treatment and transplant,” he says adding, “these give the client a full head of hair again and matches their own colour, and we only use human hair so it’s very natural.”

Despite the normalisation of baldness in men, there has been an uptick in men opting for hair loss treatments during the pandemic.

In Hong Kong, where Covid-19 has been less widespread and had less of an impact, Ho says demand for hair loss treatments “has been increasing significantly”, adding that “people are paying more attention to their hair and scalp condition”.

“It is a good trend as they may cure hair loss at an early stage. You should never give up,” says Ho.