About Male Hair Loss

Male hair loss is a distressing problem for many men. While it's not unusual for men to experience some hair loss as they age, it's the large bald spots that cause the most concern. Several medically-approved treatment options for hair restoration are available and each should be thoroughly researched before beginning a course of treatment.

Types

• Male pattern baldness (MPB), known in the medical community as androgenetic alopecia, causes over 95% of hair loss in men, according to the American Hair Loss Association. MPB occurs when a byproduct of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) causes hair follicles to shrink. Over time, the shrunken follicles stop producing hair. Hair loss usually starts at the front of the head, with the hair line receding until there is only a ring of hair around a bald spot at the top of the head. Follicles in other parts of the head are not usually affected by DHT, although some unlucky men will eventually lose all of their hair.
  A number of other factors cause hair loss not related to MPB. They include allergies, autoimmune problems, stress, illness, surgery and even tight hair styles, such as corn rows. A large number of drugs can also trigger male hair loss, including blood thinners and medications used to treat high cholesterol, epilepsy, depression, digestive disorders, glaucoma, high blood pressure and heart problems. Chemotherapy often causes baldness, although hair growth usually resumes after treatment ends.

Features

• A dermatologist can advise on you the best course of treatment for your particular case of hair loss. The extent of your hair loss will be noted and given a number based on the Norwood Scale, a pictorial chart doctors use to denote the extent of hair loss. You will be asked for your medical and family history, as MBP is an inherited condition. Dermatologists use a special magnifier, called a densitometer to look at your scalp and hair follicles and determine how much the follicles have shrunk.

Considerations

• Finasteride, used to treat enlarge prostate glands, also has another benefit: it causes hair growth by lowering DHT levels. The drug is sold under the brand names Propecia and Proscar. You will need to take this drug for approximately three months before you notice new hair growth. If you don't experience new growth after a year of taking the drug, further use will probably not result in hair growth.
  Minoxidil, sold under the brand name Rogaine, was originally used to treat high blood pressure and was also observed to spur hair growth. Minoxidil cream is applied to problem areas daily. The drug slows hair loss and may cause growth in bald areas, but only works if it is used daily and does not seem to work quite as well as finasteride.
  Several types of surgery for male hair loss are available. A hair transplant is the most common form of surgery and can provide good results if performed by a skilled surgeon. During a hair transplant, strips of healthy hair follicles are removed from the back of the head and placed on bald areas. Because these hair follicles are resistant to DHT, they will grow even when placed on a previously bald area. This surgery is expensive and requires the transplantation of numerous follicles to make a difference in appearance.
  Scalp reduction makes hair loss less noticeable by removing loose skin and pushing areas with hair closer together. Tissue expansion may be needed before a scalp reduction is performed. Small balloons placed under the scalp are gradually inflated, causing a section of skin to loosen.

Effects

• Hair loss is more than a cosmetic problem and affects career choices and interpersonal relationships. For years, balding men resorted to hiding hair loss by wearing a toupee or combing the remaining hair over the bald spot, neither of which were aesthetically pleasing options in many cases. Treatment options today offer the opportunity to address the problem when it first begins and is barely noticeable. Treating hair loss at its earliest stage offers the best chance for slowing or stopping hair loss.

Warning

• There are many companies offering hair growth treatments that just don't do what they promise. The American Hair Loss Association recommends that anyone considering a particular medication, cream or procedure discuss it with a doctor first and only use products and medications approved by the Federal Drug Administration.