Hair loss in men

What is it?

Hair loss in men, sometimes called Male pattern baldness or officially, androgenetic alopecia, is quite common. Some form of hair loss occurs in almost two out of three men. Loss of hair can range from mild to drastic, with the most drastic form of hair loss resulting in total baldness.

At any given time, 90% of a person's scalp are in a growth phase. This phase last 2-6 years; then following a growth phase the hair enters a 2-3 month resting phase. At the end of the resting phase, the hair sheds and is replaced by new hair from which the growth cycle begins again. Around 50-100 hairs are lost a day through the normal shedding cycle. This level of shedding is not cause for alarm. If you are suffering from a greater level of shedding and are concerned/ bothered by it, check with a doctor for potential cause and solutions.

Note that there is no need to treat male pattern baldness from a health stand-point. Treatment is used to improve perceived appearances that may be impacted by hairloss.

Symptoms

• Hair falls out at a greater rate. You may notice more hair in the drain when you shower, in your comb when you brush/comb your hair, on your pillow in the morning.
• Thinning or total loss of hair at certain key areas: crown of the head, forehead (receeding hairline), or both. The type of hair loss that results in this receding hairline or in a slow balding at the crown is almost always due to the genetic balding- androgenetic alopecia.
• Hair loss can happen in stages. It is not uncommon for there to be a few months or years of consistent increase in hair shedding, and then the hair loss may stop or significantly slow.

Causes

• Most hair loss in men is genetic. There is a gene for male pattern baldness. It can come from either the mother's or the father's side of the family.
• In addition to genetics, hormones also play a factor. DHT is a sex hormone known to adversely affect hair growth and the prostate gland.
• If it is suspected that the hair loss is due to other factors other than genetic ones, it is important to visit the doctor for a diagnosis. In rare cases, hair loss could be due to a throid mis-function or a nutritional deficiency.

Who gets it?

Male pattern hairloss is the most common type of loss, representing about 95% off all cases of male hair loss. Generally male pattern baldness first begins in the last 20's or early 30's. However, it is possible to experience signs of hair loss as early as the teenage years. Mild to moderate male pattern hair loss affects about 50% of men by the age of 50.

How is it diagnosed?

There is no medical test performed to evaluate male pattern baldness. Onset of hair loss is simply evident in the increase in hair loss, thinning of the hair, and growing areas of baldness.

Some specialists evaluate of classify the type or severity of the hair loss through a classification chart that ranks Stages 1-8.

Treatment

There is no cure, but there are many treatments for this male pattern hair loss. There is a range of treatments from lotions, shampoos, to more sophisticated pills. The sooner treatment is begun, this higher the chance of success. The more hair that is gone, the harder it is to get it back through many of these forms of treatment.

• Rogaine- this is a topical treatment that is applied daily to the area of hair loss. If the treatment is stopped, the hair loss begins again. Rogaine also makes a shampoo that regenerates hair growth.
• Nioxin is a brand name that makes shampoos and hair creams for thinning hair.
• PROPECIA is a pill used to treat male pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of head) and anterior mid-scalp area (middle front of head) in men; it is not used to treat hair loss on by the temples. Similar to Rogaine, this pills needs to be continued in order to grow and hold on to hair.
• Surgical treatments, such as hair transplants
• Natural/Alternative remedies: certain vitamins and Chinese herbs tout treatments for hair loss.

What is the long-term prognosis?

Long-term prognosis of hair loss depends on the individual. Because someone shows signs of male pattern baldness, it does not mean they are going to lose all their hair. Some stop losing at a certain age/stage and are able to maintain their hair for many more years. Others may contiunue to steadily lose more and more hair.