Male Hair Loss – Blame your Hormones

The most common cause of male hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, which is caused by the interaction between two naturally-occurring hormones, DHT and 5-alpha-reductase, which work together well until just after puberty.Thereafter, unpredictably, the interaction between 5-alpha and testosterone changes, the overall biology gets a little out of kilter, which affects the normal growth, rest and regrowth pattern of the hair follicle.

The result is a hair that is thinner and weaker each time it grows, until at last it cannot be seen at all.

In men, this typically results in hair that recedes from the front to the back and a loss of hair around the crown of the head; this particular affliction is hereditary. Even where there is no history of male pattern baldness, about half the male population will have suffered some degree of hair loss by the time they have reached 50.

Hair loss and male-pattern baldness is an affliction suffered by thousands of men, and can be a real source of insecurity and embarrassment for those not ready to lose their hair or shave their head. Even worse, and more devastating are the younger cases where the hair loss process begins long before a man even reaches his thirtieth birthday. So what are your options if you are one of these men, uncontrollably losing your hair before your time?

Well, you can do what many others do – shave your head for the sake of uniformity. Lots of men look great with a shaved head – it just fits their personality and style, and they seem comfortable that way. For those unwilling to give up on their hair, there are hairpieces or plugs, neither of which have been perfected to the point of being undetectable, and both having a societal stigma as being somewhat tacky and undesirable.

Another option, of course, is to try one of the hair loss products that several reputable manufacturers now offer, both in prescription and nonprescription form. While there is still no “magic pill” that can unflinchingly promise every man (and woman) who takes it will re-grow their hair, there are some very promising and effective hair loss products and treatments currently on the market and also in development.

One is Minoxidil (trade name Rogaine), which is applied directly to the scalp. Nearly three-quarters of users report that hair loss slowed “significantly” when they used this product, but only 7% reported actual hair re-growth.

Minoxidil can be bought without a prescription over-the-counter. It normally starts to work after about two months, when hair loss decreases, and hair will start to grow back within about six months.
The drug must be continued indefinitely otherwise any hair that has been saved or regrown will be lost.

The other product, Finisteride, is taken orally, but is only for men. It is unsuitable for women of childbearing age, because it may lead to abnormal genital development in boy babies while still in the womb.

It can take anything up to two years to see positive results from Finisteride ; in cases where this drug is successful, it must be used continuously (just like Minoxidil), because the hair loss process continues once the treatment stops.

If you’d prefer a natural treatment, a product from Hair Genesis has achieved good results; research reports show a slowing of hair loss is the majority of the test cases, and even hair regrowth in many.

Male-pattern baldness is so called because it tends to follow a set pattern. The first stage is usually a receding hairline, followed by thinning of the hair on the crown and temples. When these two areas meet in the middle, you have a horseshoe shape of hair around the back and sides of your head. Eventually you may be completely bald.