How to Fight Hair Loss in Men

Millions of people throughout the world are victims of hair loss. Of this population, about 70% are men, so that shows that men are more affected by hair loss problem than women. So if you happen to be one of the sufferers, think that you are not alone. A walk to the basketball court or a trip to your office will remind you of that fact. Your father, your friends, or your teammate could be one of them.

Although common, hair loss in men is not a matter to be ignored or joked. Many men out there, though aware that baldness in men is acceptable in the society, feel inferior or unwanted because of their being bald. Yes, baldness in men to some degree affects the males’ self-esteem and self-consciousness. This is also true, and is even intense among women, as women baldness is intolerable.

Now, if you are a man and you are currently suffering from this condition, would it be interesting to know what the basics of hair loss in men are? If you will ask me, I’d be affirmative. After all, knowing what hair loss in men is and what causes it to occur, or how to treat it is really a good move to take. It will not only help you understand what is involved in male pattern hair loss, but knowing its basics will teach you a lesson on how you can avoid or prevent extreme hair loss. That would certainly be enlightening!

So are you now ready to take the challenge? If so, then let’s get started.


Understanding the Basics

Male pattern hair loss is by far the most common form of hair loss. As the name implies, it applies greatly to men or its primary victim are men. Well, according to some surveys, male pattern hair loss affects men with close to 95% of all cases. Half of the total population of men in the whole world experiences this condition typically by the age of 50. However, there are some men who develop this type of hair loss in their teens, 20s, or 30s. Worse is that before men know it, a greater number of their hair may already be nowhere to be found.

The Appearance of Hair Loss in Men

Hair loss in men is often identified with the appearance of a receding hairline, also known as slow balding at the crown of the head. This condition is observed to be a progressive that if it is left ignored and untreated, the hair loss will continue and you will just notice in the end that much of your hair are already gone.

The appearance of hair loss in men is different from the appearance of hair loss in women. The main difference basically lies on the idea that male pattern hair loss is characterized by a noticeable receding line, as mentioned above. Typically, the hair loss in men starts from the crown an spreads through the forehead and few strands are left. This condition is what actually sets hair loss in men different from hair loss in women as in female hair loss, what occur are just spots on the head and women do not totally get bald. They just lose strands of hair, and perhaps the excessive hair loss in women can be associated with some medical operations like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

There is a tremendous variation of how hair loss appears in men. This variation may include the following:

• A lot of men in society lose hair on the center of their scalp. This is what produces a “bald spot” at the center of the head surrounded by hair.

• Some men develop thinning of hair uniformly. The thinning usually starts over the top of the scalp and this presents no discernible pattern. What it results is complete baldness, especially if not treated earlier on its stage.

• A lot of men experience a sort of recession at the front of their hairline. This usually occurs above the temples, but with hair in the middle. If you will take a closer look at this appearance, you would certainly find an “M” shape on the hairline above your temples and forehead.

• Other men experience a recession at the front of their scalp join up with this area, then forming a balding area on the head.

So that is how hair loss appears in men. Let us now proceed to what causes hair loss in men.


Understanding the Hair Loss Causes

Hair loss in men is caused by a number of factors. For some who do not completely get bald, the root of hair loss is highly associated to hereditary and hormonal imbalances. The explanation for this actually holds that when your family has a history of baldness, the tendency is that you will go bald. But, it is important to note that hereditary factor that causes hair loss in men is not only rooted from having a mother or a father who happens to be bald. The notion that men inherit baldness through their mother’s male relatives is not even true. The real score is that hair loss in men, when dealing with heredity, can originate from either side of the family, or even both. Perhaps taking a closer look at your family may give you the best hint of about how your head will turn out year after year.

In terms of hormonal factors, hair loss in men is also often linked to certain imbalances in the male hormones. According to some studies, most men have areas on their scalp that are very sensitive to the male sex hormones that circulate in their blood. It is these male sex hormones that cause hair follicles to shrink. As you may know, the hair follicles are the areas from which our hair grows, so if they get weakened, they tend to prevent hair from growing. If the follicles are affected by these male sex hormones, what happens is that they eventually become small, turning them incapable of replacing the lost hairs. Well, understand that in this stage, the follicles are not completely dead. They are alive, but are not capable of performing their task the way it used to be.

In relation to this, recent researches have found a link between male hair loss and a substance known as dihydrotestosterone or DHT. According to then, men who tend to develop male pattern hair loss have elevated levels of DHT in their balding scalp. Further studies have revealed that this DHT is what contributes to the continuous shrinking of the hair follicles in the head, leading to a decrease in the number of the noticeable strands of hair. As this is substance is present in the scalp of almost every men, scientists were driven to believe that DHT is a key factor to hair loss in men.

Acute stress can also be a contributing factor to male pattern hair loss. Yes, that’s what most of the studies have shown. As far as I know, they based this claim on some medical illnesses like high fever and to sudden weight loss, as during these conditions the systems in the body passes through a stage of weakening. The result is sudden and rapid shedding of hair. This is where a chronic disorder like lupus happens, which is certainly alarming.

Other possible cause of hair loss in men may be linked to the medications that most men consider, as well as to some illnesses. There are some, however, who lose hair due to certain improper hair cares, like using too much solution for their hair.


Evaluating Your Own Situation

So you’ve learned the basics of hair loss in men, including its causes. Now is the right time for you to consider your own situation as a preparation to the possible treatment. Note that understanding your own hair loss condition is one of the biggest moves worth taking. So if possible, try to ask yourself or consult an expert about what kind of hair loss you are currently experiencing.

Also, don’t wait too long. Remember that most of the hair loss treatments available on the market these days are most successfully applied by those who haven’t waited too long to do the right thing for their condition. Many of those who have experienced balding at some point in their lives have said that the longer you wait to stop hair loss, the harder you can prevent it from occurring, and the harder it is to treat.

It is also very important if you want to treat your hair loss as early as possible to determine the extent of loss. According to some pros, determining this factor is perhaps one of the most significant factors in identifying how well a person will respond to the hair loss treatment. So if in case you find out that you are affected by a slick balding on your scalp characterized by only a small amount of microscopic hair follicles remaining, then note that this condition is much harder to treat than having a hair loss with noticeable existing hairs that are starting to give way to MPB. This latter hair condition is said to have a better chance of reviving.

To evaluate your own hair loss situation it is much advisable to talk to an expert whom you think can greatly help you. You can consult a dermatologist or a hair surgeon to help you determine the kind of hair loss situation you are suffering from.

Well, asking for an expert’s help is not a hard thing to do. These people are available throughout the world. You can find them through referrals, or by asking your friends and relatives about someone they know who can help you fight hair loss. You can also go online and surf the net. Yes, you heard me right. Today, the Internet is highly considered as one of the most important sources for finding everything you wanted to know. So, if you are really serious with battling with hair loss, then there’s no reason for you not consider these suggestions. After all, several sites are out there to help you locate the best doctor for you.


Evaluating the Possible Treatments

To evaluate the possible and available treatments for hair loss is like taking a brilliant step to knowing how you can treat the problem. Well, as you may know, there are a lot of possible ways to fight or prevent hair loss from happening. These ways, however, may require time and daily effort. So for those who are serious with treating their conditions, it is best to note and understand everything that will be said here as knowing the ways of preventing hair loss will eventually give you a better perspective and a better look.

Consider the following treatments:

Growth Stimulators

The growth stimulators, generally, are used in preventing hair loss for the fact that they are capable of working on a symptomatic level to stimulate growth of hair, although artificially. These agents are capable of performing such acts without actually dealing with hair loss at the root of the problem. Note that it is because of this function that growth stimulators are deemed ineffective. But the truth of the matter is, these agents are actually a very successful and powerful way of reversing the balding process, although cosmetically.

The available products in the market today that can be considered as growth stimulators are Rogaine, Tricomin, Folligen, Nano Shampoo, Proxiphen, Prox-N, and Retin-A.

Anti-Androgens

Anti-androgens are but another powerful fighter of hair loss in men. The use of this treatment stems from the belief that anti-androgens work to stop the DHT from binding to the androgen receptor. The androgens, according to studies, come in about ¾ of the way down to the actual process leading to hair loss, and as they come to the rescue, they tend to show off one of the last interactions before certain damages to the hair follicles occur, then restoring the then weakened follicles.

Here are a few of the most well-known and most marketed anti-androgens that could help your fight hair loss in men:

• Revivogen
• Spironolactone
• Nizoral 1% and 2% (Ketoconazole)
• Proxiphen
• Crinagen

Dihydrotestosterone or DHT Inhibitors

The dihydrotestosterone or DHT inhibitors, as the name implies, functions to inhibit the fastening of 5-Alpha Reductase and Testosterone. This combination is what actually keeps the DHT levels to stay close to normal. Once maintained normal, the DHT inhibitors work to help keep the hair growth as well as loss regulation as its normal state. With this condition and function, it’s no wonder that DHT inhibitors are used by bald men to deal and treat the root of their hair loss dilemma.

The most well-known DHT Inhibitors include the Propecia; Crinagen and Revivogen, which are best also as anti-androgens; Dutasteride; Xandrox; and Progesterone Creams.

Anti-Inflammatory Treatments

The name bears it. Anti-inflammatory treatments work to treat inflammation mainly in the balding scalp. It also works to reduce the level of itching that could possible felt upon losing hair. Aside from that, anti-inflammatory solutions can be of great use to control redness, as well as flaking in the scalp which is commonly caused by the immune response following the hair loss. Note that if conditions like redness, flaking, itching and inflammation not controlled as early as possible, they can make hair loss in men worse.

The anti-inflammatory hair loss treatments that are potent enough to do such function include the well-known Nizoral, T-Gel, Folligen, Betadine, Proxiphen-N, Proxiphen, and Tricomen.

Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD)

Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) treatments are marketing throughout the world these days to prevent excessive hair loss in men. Claims have it that these treatments work by way of gripping and controlling the immune response the in body which may occur as a result of the excessive DHT in the hair follicle. The Super Oxide, which is released once a foreign body is sensed by the cells, is then considered as an alien body that is potent enough to help the body fight and defend against the invading cells, foreign tissues and viruses. However, this Super Oxide is reduced by SODs, which may in turn help lessen the body’s desire to turn down the hair follicle. It is with this function actually that the SODs are considered as effective enough to fight hair loss in men. It is important to know though that SOD treatments are a kind of a hybrid treatment for the reason that they carry within them a number of anti-inflammatory and growth stimulation properties.

Now, if you want to know what the most commonly noted and marketed SODs today, then note that there are actually four main products on the market marked as SODs. These include the Tricomen, Proxiphen, Proxiphen-N, and Folligen.

Note that all of the above mentioned hair loss treatments for men are now marketed throughout the world. So it’s no wonder that you can find even in your neighborhood drug store or grocery stores. But, before you decide on particular treatment, be sure to know and understand your situation first and if possible try to review the real causes of hair loss mentioned earlier in this article. If you fully understand what causes your hair loss, then decide only on the right treatment for you. Again, the best thing that you can do to prevent mistakes is to consult your doctor. It’s not a big hassle after all.