We all dream of a day when hair loss will become a problem of the past—especially for men. Male pattern baldness affects men of almost all ages, and it is the most common cause of hair loss in men.
About 25 percent of men suffer from hereditary male pattern baldness, and they start to see a rapid thinning of hair at age 21! That’s barely enough time to turn legal, but on top of that, they have to start worrying about their hair. Isn’t life just amazing?
By age 35, approximately 66 percent of men experience hair loss to some degree. By age 50, that percentage rises to 85! That’s over two out of every three men!
Male pattern hair loss is also known as androgenetic alopecia. The scary part of androgenetic alopecia is that scientists still haven’t figured out how the genetic component passes down in the family. The bonus? You can inherit it from either side of your family, and there’s currently no cure for it.
However, it’s not all bad news! Scientists from the University of California have discovered that certain regularity cells known as T-cells are responsible for the regrowth of hair in mice, and this has led to promising studies and research to find a cure for male pattern baldness.
While science races to find a cure, we cannot sit back and not do anything about our looming, thinning problem. There are a few preventative and remedial measures you can take if you start seeing signs of baldness. Remember, your scalp will thank you the earlier you take measures.
What Exactly is Male Pattern Baldness?
Let’s make something clear: Male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, doesn’t affect all of your body hair, solely the hair on your head or top of your scalp. There are two sure signs of male pattern baldness, and if you see one, the time has come to do something about it.
What do you need to keep a lookout for? Here are the signs: Receding hairline and thinning of the hair on the crown or general thinning all over the head. The first main area that usually gets affected is the temple, where the hairline may recede to an ‘M’ shape. Alternatively, you might see a single area with thinning strands.
Male pattern baldness is an irreversible condition, but prevention is always better than waiting for a cure. Here are some ways you can tackle male pattern baldness.
Prevention
If you still have a head full of hair, congratulations. We shed about 25 to 100 hairs a day as our hair goes through its natural growth cycle. However, if you feel you are losing more than 100 strands of hair a day and baldness already runs in your family, then it’s time to take a preventative step.
The most cost-effective preventative method is to use hair-loss shampoos. A good hair loss shampoo has active ingredients in them to clean the scalp and stimulate the hair follicles.
In addition to genetics, your hormones also play a big role in male pattern baldness. Particularly dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a male sex hormone. Higher DHT levels can shrink hair follicles and delay the normal hair growth cycle. As a result, the hair becomes thinner and more fragile. Hair will fall out more quickly, and will also take more time to regrow new hairs.
If you see no difference in hair fall rate after using hair-loss shampoos religiously, your hormones might be the main culprit. Consult a doctor, and you might be prescribed anti-androgen medications like Finasteride or Dutasteride.
Cure Thinning
Mild Thinning
There are two drugs that are very effective against mild and moderate hair thinning. As mentioned above, one is Finasteride, or more commonly known as Propecia, and minoxidil marketed as Regaine. Usually, a doctor will prescribe a combination of both.
Propecia (1 mg pill) works by inhibiting DHT, and it stalls hair loss as long as you are taking it regularly. Over time, it might even initiate regrowth. One dose of Propecia lasts about 16 hours, and if you don’t want to mess with your hormone levels, you should stick to a regular regimen. You can buy them over the counter or online, but if you are worried about side effects, you should consult your GP first.
Minoxidil (four or five percent formulation) is applied directly to the scalp, and it helps in curbing further hair loss and regrowth. However, the science behind it is not exactly known. Research is still ongoing and the only thing we know for certain is that minoxidil activates potassium pathways.
After four months of usage, eighty-five percent of males who used minoxidil twice per day had a higher hair count, according to clinical studies. The only downside is you will see extra shedding in the first few weeks of use.
Moderate Thinning
Medicines don’t work if a spot becomes completely bald, and it is impossible to regrow hair in those areas. Even if you have very thin hair in those areas, there’s a chance of salvaging those luscious locks.
Step up your game and use an extra-strength minoxidil solution, a strength of 12.5 percent is good for such situations. If you can shell out the bucks, this might also be a great time to introduce hair laser treatment. Another alternative is laser combs. You don’t have to go to an esthetician or a doctor; you can buy a laser comb and use it at home.
Heavy Thinning
The earlier you tackle male pattern baldness, the better, but if nothing is working, then it’s time for a hair transplant. A doctor will skillfully graft 25,000 strands of hair on your balding dome to achieve the look of a head full of hair.
Where do we find this extra hair? The hairs are extracted one by one from the back of your head and grafted onto your scalp. Transplanted hair won’t be affected by male pattern baldness, but the old hairs will be.
It’s a safe and painless procedure, and it can even be done in one visit. It will, of course, be costly, and you will need to continue with preventative medicines even after the transplant. Another option is PRP Treatment, this uses extracts of your own blood to help promote the production of cells to help tackle hair loss and other
hair loss-related conditions.
Conclusion
There’s no definite cure for male pattern baldness, and hair loss is a very common problem that affects everyone equally. The earlier you start taking care of your locks, the sooner you will see results. Curb your losses before you lose it all.
