Types of Hair Loss in Men

Roughly two-thirds of American men will experience a noticeable degree of hair loss by the time they reach the age of 35, according to the American Hair Loss Association. That figure grows to about 85 percent by the age of 50. For an unlucky 25 percent, the onset of the balding process will come before they reach their 21st birthday. Although hair loss may be somewhat less traumatic for men than it is for women, it is a situation that many men fight valiantly through one means or another.

Causes

• By far the most common cause of hair loss in men is that old bugaboo, male pattern baldness, known by the medical community as androgenetic alopecia. It would be as painful by any other name. Male pattern baldness is responsible for roughly 95 percent of all hair loss in men. Other causes of hair loss include medical conditions such as anemia and thyroid disease; certain medications for conditions such as anemia and depression; and anabolic steroids.

Diagnosis

• The diagnosis of male pattern baldness is a fairly straightforward procedure that combines observation of the patient's pattern of hair loss with the taking of a detailed medical history. The latter should include information about hair loss experienced by close male relatives, including father, grandfathers, uncles and brothers. If the cause of hair loss is suspected to be something other than androgenetic alopecia, your doctor probably will order a number of tests, including blood tests that cover blood chemistry, complete blood count (CBC), thyroid function, serum iron and tests for lupus and syphilis.

Androgenetic Alopecia

• Male pattern balding is set into motion when some hair follicles begin to shrink, each of them producing progressively finer and shorter hair. As the process continues, many of these follicles will shrink to such a degree that they no longer produce hair at all. Although the affected follicles are no longer sprouting hair, they remain alive, holding out the promise that some way will be found to restart the hair-growing process. The causes of androgenetic alopecia are not completely understood but are believed to be related to both hormones and genetics.

Symptoms

• The symptoms of male pattern balding are fairly easy to recognize, beginning with noticeable hair loss at the hairline. Over time the hair on the crown of the head will eventually begin to thin. In most cases these two main sites of hair loss---the receding hairline and loss of hair on the crown---will merge to leave what MedlinePlus describes as "a horseshoe pattern of hair around the sides of the head."

What Can Be Done

• Individual men will react differently to the phenomenon of hair loss. Some accept it---albeit a bit reluctantly---as a natural part of the aging process. Others are willing to try almost anything to reverse the process or to replace hair that has already been lost. Some balding men have found a degree of success in regrowing hair with two medications: finasteride and minoxidil. The latter is marketed as Rogaine and is applied topically to the scalp to stimulate hair growth, while the former, prescribed as Propecia and Proscar, is an oral medication designed to inhibit the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), thought to have a major role in triggering hair loss. Still others have resorted to surgical hair transplantation or have opted to cover up with a hairpiece.