Male Pattern Baldness Explained
Posted by Lark B on
According to research, around 40% of men are likely to develop baldness or experience severe hair thinning by the time they reach 35 years of age and around 50% of all men experience it after the age of 50. This is called male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia. While this is a very prevalent problem, many men don't know much about it, which is why we have created this small guide about this condition.
Who is At Risk?
People who have baldness in their family, especially on their maternal side are more likely to develop baldness. Signs of baldness can start in the teenage years when people experience hair thinning and similar problems. If you have any baldness in your family, there's a higher risk of you developing it. Preventive measures and proper hair care can help delay the issue.
How Does it Happen?
The male sex hormone known as androgen influences and regulates hair growth. Imbalance or anomalies in this hormone can have a big influence on your hair and often lead to severe hair thinning. Male pattern baldness starts with hair thinning and affects the hair growth cycle. Every strand of hair has its own growth cycle and it falls off at the end naturally. If a person has male pattern baldness, the cycle begins to weaken eventually as their hair follicles shrink.
When follicles shrink, the hair grows shorter and thinner with each cycle, leading to visible thinning. Eventually, the follicle becomes closed off, which ends the cycle permanently so there's no future growth. This is complete and permanent baldness because there's no way to reopen follicles. The only solution is to transplant hair follicles from other parts of the head to the balding spot to encourage hair growth once again.
What are the Causes?
The primary cause of male pattern baldness is genetics but it is important to investigate the matter thoroughly. If you inherit this condition from your family, there are usually no side effects to your health. However, there are other serious causes of baldness that individuals must investigate for the sake of their continued good health. These causes include:
- Certain medications
- Excessive stress and anxiety
- Certain cancers
- Thyroid conditions or disorders
- Anabolic steroids used in bodybuilding
- Nutritional disorders
- Fungal infections
A doctor observes the baldness pattern, evaluates your personal medical history, current state of health, and then conducts some tests before determining the true cause of the baldness. They will conduct a blood test and a skin biopsy to get an in-depth look at the cause. This helps eliminate any serious health concern because you can then focus on finding solutions to address the baldness.
Signs of Losing Hair
Some men become anxious and paranoid when they see hair on their brush or in the shower drain, but it's important to distinguish between regular hair fall and hair loss. Here are some signs that you need to look out for:
- A bald spot or excessively thinning hair at the top of your head.
- Receding hairline in the shape of the figure “M”.
- Clumps of hair falling off at once.
- Excessive hair on your pillows.
Baldness can also occur if there's rash, pain, peeling skin, and redness on the scalp, but that isn't indicative of male pattern baldness and there are several treatment options available to you. If you see any of these signs, visit the doctor immediately as that might help prevent excessive hair loss.
Ways to Address Male Pattern Baldness
There are some treatment options that help slow down male pattern baldness though they might not completely eliminate it. The topical medication Minoxidil slows down baldness and can encourage new growth but it can cause a number of side effects. Finasteride is another medication that helps slow down baldness in some men. This oral medicine blocks the production of male hormones that cause baldness. This also has some serious side effects and isn't a suitable solution for everyone.
Wigs and weaves are good alternatives but if you want a simple solution, consider hair fiber solutions. These are effective, add volume to thinning hair, and are easy to apply. They are unlikely to cause irritation or lead to serious health concerns.
If you're worried about thinning hair on your head, we at Hair 2.0 recommend our natural keratin fiber solution. Want to know more? Contact our customer care for queries or browse through our website for information on different products.