秃头

A beloved piece of Chinese internet self-deprecation where people joke that their grueling work schedules, impossible deadlines, or brutal study loads are literally making them go bald. It's the Chinese equivalent of saying 'this job is killing me' — but funnier and follicle-focused. Workers, students, and programmers especially adopted it as a badge of exhausted honor, bonding over shared hair loss (real or imagined) caused by modern pressures.

Around 2016–2018, China's '996' work culture (9am to 9pm, 6 days a week) sparked widespread online venting. Young professionals and students facing intense competition channeled their stress into humor. Hair loss became a relatable symbol of overwork, and '秃头' gave people a lighthearted vocabulary for a very real anxiety about burnout and the physical toll of high-pressure lifestyles.

用脱发和秃头来形容工作或学习压力过大，以自嘲方式表达对高强度生活的无奈。