Even one of Italy's richest and most powerful man cannot stop the onslaught of hair loss. Baldness has always been a highly sensitive issue with the flamboyant businessman-cumpolitician, who will be taking on a third term as the country's premier.
Bald facts: He was said to have had extra hair airbrushed onto election posters bearing his image.
He went for a top-secret hair transplant in 2004, even donning a bandana following the procedure to hide the fact when he met then-British prime minister Tony Blair.
He says: 'I am happy to have subjected myself to such pain... It is a way of showing respect to those who expect you to represent them on an international and national stage.'
Andre Agassi, 37
The retired tennis superstar's current shaven and subdued image is worlds apart from his younger days of flowing locks.
Bald facts: Towards the mid-1990s, Agassi made a drastic switch, sporting the bald look that he is known for today to hide the fact that he was losing his hair. He was only around 25.
He says: 'Every time I see a picture of me with long hair, I want to burn it.'
Lim Yu Beng, 42
The stage, TV and film actor is well-known for his sporty and macho image, which goes very well with his sexy bald pate.
Bald facts: He first took to the razor for his role in The Yang Family in 1997 and ended up liking it so much that he has since gone bald or almost bald. He also had hair loss problems at that time.
He says: 'I don't miss my hair, I like myself the way I am. The only thing is that, as an actor, it limits the looks that I can have for different performances.'
Bernie Utchenik, 55
Everyone knows him as Botak Jones, the popular Western food chain that goes by the same name. The American-born Singapore permanent resident is probably the best-known botak (baldy) on the island.
Bald facts: He used to sport a ponytail in 1996, but noticed his hair growth pattern changing in 1997 and decided to give the shaven look a try before he got too old for it.
He says: 'If I waited too long before getting my haircut, I'd look like Bozo the clown, so why not shave it all off? I received compliments and so the bald head stayed and has now become the moniker for my business.'
Adam Cheng, 61
A veteran of the Hong Kong TV scene and the ex-husband of the late Hong Kong comedienne Lydia Sum, the debonair actor is well-known for his evergreen looks.
Bald facts: Sum revealed in the 1990s that Cheng had been battling baldness with hair-weaving - a process where artificial or human hair is sewn on to existing strands. Hong Kong tabloids unveiled pictures of Cheng at home with a receding hairline in 2006.
He says: 'I wear false hair to look better; I have been wearing hairpieces for 10 years.'
Bruce Willis, 53
Baldness has apparently not affected the American actor's wise-cracking macho image in action flicks such as the Die Hard series which he is best known for.
Bald facts: His hairline was already receding rapidly when he rose to fame in the 1980s TV hit series Moonlighting. In 2004, Britain's The Sun newspaper reported that he would undergo a revolutionary hair-cloning treatment, but the star seems to be still sporting his closely shaven, tough-guy look.
He says: 'I'm a man and I will kick anybody's a** who tries to tell me that I'm not one because my hair's thinning.'
Tan Yi Hui