Male Baldness Info

Baldness is a commonly occurring phenomenon with more than 40% of men affected by it. It has been found that Brits are more troubled by their condition than their European counterparts and young men go to any length to rectify their problem. Men suffer from many psychological problems when they experience hair loss, such as lowed self esteem and confidence which could have a direct effect on profession and personal lifestyles.

What is Baldness?

Baldness is an age-old condition with many theories revolving around it. The most common theory blames genetics passing on the unfortunate balding genes; some scientists say that parasites from barber’s brushes resulted in baldness; dandruff, hats, and lack of blood supply are other casualties that suffered from scientific theories.

However, today it is known that androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness is a hormonal problem and nobody but your hormones are to be blamed. Despite many theories supporting this cause, scientists are still researching the topic to improve on treatment options.

How to treat baldness?

From exposure to sun and hair weaving to hair lotions and potions, there are so many treatments for baldness today, that if a middle-aged man tries one treatment a year, he will have enough treatments to try for the rest of his life.  Some of the treatments that are found to be effective in some men are as follows:

Minoxidil

It is sold over the counter as a topical liquid under the brand name Regaine. Nothing is known about the working of this treatment but it is believed that it increases blood supply to the hair follicles. Te hair that grows back with minoxidil is often soft and barely visible. However, with continued use the new hair becomes as thick and as coloured as your normal hair. People using this solution have complained of it not working after a couple of years. In some cases, people have lost more hair than before after using this topical solution. If you ever come across this situation, stop using it immediately.

Hair graft surgery

In this surgical method, hair from the back of the scalp is usually taken out and transplanted to the bald patch. After this, the hair grows as if it were still on the original site. There are two methods to do this surgery, one in several stages and other in one mega session. The first method may be time consuming but it is more efficient as your head does not end up looking like a doll’s head like that in mega session. You have to shell out something between the price range of £1500 and £4000 and there is a risk of infection and scarring like that in all surgeries.

Medicines available for the treatment of baldness

Most men nowadays do not go for messy topical lotions and traumatic surgeries. They often go for Propecia, as these oral pills are simple to take and show great results too with minimal or no side effects.

Almost all men will experience some degree of hair loss during the course of their lives and especially when they reach their 60’s. This is not a steady pattern however as the age at when a man begins to lose his hair can vary quite considerably. For example, it has been estimated that 30% of men in their 30’s will start to go bald and when they reach their 50’s the figure rises to approximately 50%. Although this can be quite typical for male, it is not uncommon for women to experience a similar pattern.

Male pattern baldness, or MPB, is quite common and it can typically take anywhere between 5 and 25 years for a man to go bald. The rate will vary from individual to individual but an average of 15 years can be used as a benchmark. The hair tends to begin to recede from the forehead in combination with a thinning on the scalp, usually around the crown area. In time these 2 areas will meet leaving a rim of hair around the sides and back of the head.

Dihydrotestostrone, or DHT, is a by-product of the male hormone testosterone and several reports have indicated that it plays a major part in hair loss. This is achieved by shortening the growth phase and slowing down follicle growth. DHT also tends to block important vitamins and minerals from reaching the follicles such as Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B6 as well as proteins needed for properly nourished hair. Without these important nutrients, the follicles get steadily smaller and eventually hair loss occurs.