Tag Archive for: balding

What Every Man Should Know About Male Pattern Baldness

 

Close your eyes and visualize a middle-aged guy.  What do you see?  Maybe a few distinguished worry lines?  A slight bulge around the middle saying, “Hey, go back to the gym”?  A receding hairline or a shaved head?  Whoa, stop right there.   Do all men go bald?  Is that really your fate too?  

While it’s true that data indicates over 50 percent of men have extensive hair loss by the age of 50, there are ways to avoid becoming part of that statistic. (01)  There are many reasons why men go bald, and more effective treatments are available than ever before.  If you’re a guy worried about losing your hair, read on.  This one’s for you.  

Why Do Men Go Bald?

If you find sacred strands of hair scattered in your sink every time you comb or brush, you may wonder why.  Do you have a rare disease?  Are you using your cell phone too much?  Are there toxins in your water?  Most likely not.  The explanation is much simpler than you would think.  

Most Guys Are Genetically Predisposed to Hair Loss

Genetics is the most common cause of hair loss among men. (02)  If a family member on your mother or father’s side has experienced hair loss, you may have inherited a baldness gene that causes male pattern baldness.  Let’s talk about what that means.  

Male Pattern Baldness is a Type of Alopecia

Because of your genetic make-up, an enzyme called 5a reductase converts testosterone naturally found in your body to a substance called Dihyrotestosterone (DHT).  DHT tells your hair follicles, “Hey, there’s an invasion.  Close up shop and hunker down.”  The hair follicles shrink, and healthy new hair can no longer grow.  

What About Genetic Testing?

Are you thinking, “No problem, there’s genetic testing for just about everything these days, right?”  If so, it’s true that genetic tests for androgenetic alopecia (aka male pattern baldness) exist.  The only catch is that they aren’t quite perfected yet.  So, what can you do if you think your hair loss has a genetic link?

First, consult with a licensed dermatologist who specializes in hair loss.  If you’re anti-doctor and procedure-phobic, don’t stress.  Male pattern baldness has specific hair loss patterns that allows diagnosis without any invasive testing.  If it turns out male pattern baldness is causing thinning or recession, many treatment options are available.

Treatment Options for Male Pattern Baldness

The best way to treat male pattern baldness is to hit your scalp from different angles with various medications.  One that you’ll want to consider is Rogaine.  You’ve probably heard of it before.  Rogaine liquid and foam is sold over the counter (OTC) to help open up your hair follicles.  The generic version, Minoxidil, is sold by prescription in higher doses than what’s available OTC.    

You’ll also want to use a prescription DHT blocker to prevent DHT from being produced in the first place.  Finasteride and Dutasteride are the ones most commonly prescribed to men.  Finasteride is effective in most men and is used as the first-line treatment.  Dutasteride is a bit stronger and can be prescribed if Finasteride isn’t doing the trick.  Retinol and cortisone are often added to the mix to improve absorption and prevent irritation.  

Do Finasteride and Dutasteride Have Undesirable Side Effects?

Finasteride and Dutasteride are both prostate medications prescribed for men with male pattern baldness.  Finasteride is FDA-approved and Dutasteride is used off-label.  You may have heard friends or family members talking about the medicines.  And, you may have rumors about some side effects like impotence that make you nervous. 

Don’t worry, though.  You don’t have to choose between your hair or your sex life.  You can have both.  If you’re thinking about taking oral Finasteride or Dutasteride, consider this.  The percentage of men who experience side effects is really small.  During Finasteride’s clinical trials, less than two percent of men taking the drug experienced side effects. (03)

If you’re worried about becoming one of the two percent, topical Finasteride or Dutasteride may be a good option.  Topicals have been proven to be equally effective as oral DHT blockers (04) and don’t carry the same risk of side effects since they work at the scalp and aren’t systemic.   

How do Topical Brands Compare?

It’s no great secret that the hair loss industry is booming.  Prescription hair loss medications that used to only be available at a pharmacy are now available via telemedicine.  Deciding which ones to use can be difficult.  Are the formulas the same?  Do the brands work differently?  To help you answer those questions, Fin vs. Fin recently compared topical hair loss treatments based on active ingredients, ease of application, and price.  Check out their review to see how industry leaders stack up.

Although Not as Common, Men Experience Alopecia for Other Reasons

Male pattern baldness accounts for most hair loss among men.  However, other conditions can also cause alopecia.  A small percentage of men experience alopecia due to autoimmune conditions.  Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes small, round patches of hair loss.  Lichen planopilaris can cause recession, smooth white patches, and an itching or burning sensation.  It’s important to see your dermatologist for a diagnosis and treatment plan if you’re experiencing hair loss.  If you have one of these conditions, early intervention is key to preserving your hair.

Thinning or Balding Can Be Temporary

When your body experiences sudden changes, temporary hair loss called telogen effluvium can occur.  Covid, the flu, and having surgery can shock your body and cause hair in the resting state of your hair’s growth process to fall out all at once.  Stress can cause the same effect.  If continual conflicts at home or work burnout is an issue, finding ways to cope will help.  You may also want to get your vitamin levels checked.  Vitamin D and iron deficiencies can also lead to temporary hair loss.  

So, let’s recap.  Even if you are predisposed to balding, there are ways to preserve your hair.  Get checked out by your dermatologist to determine the cause and know that treatments are available.  If you need advice, we’re here to help.  Happy Head has licensed dermatologists in every state who are available to answer your questions.  We also offer tested hair growth pills, topicals, shampoo, conditioner, and supplements developed by hair loss specialists Dr. Ben and Sean Behnam.   

 

Resources:

(01) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9865198/

(02) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16127116/

(03) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9951956/

(04) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7648777/

 

Do you find Hair on Your Pillow or in the Drain?

It starts with a few hairs on your pillow. Then, while you’re in the shower, you notice a few more hairs than usual flowing into the drain. Once these incidents occur more often, you start to ask yourself the difficult question, “Am I going bald?” 

It’s a tough question to come to terms with, but one that many people eventually find themselves wondering. 

You may be going bald. Or you might not. Whatever the case, it’s better to face the question and find the answer now than to wait it out. Because if you are going bald, you need immediate attention to slow— or stop— the process. 

Four Signs of Hair Loss

About 25% of men have experienced hair loss by the age of 21. By age 50, about 50% of all the men have had some level of hair loss. Women are not immune to losing their hair, either, with about 40% of women experiencing hair loss within their lifetime. So, when it comes to going bald, you’re not alone. (01, 02)

Hair loss happens to many people and there are steps you can take to address the issue. But before you seek out treatments for possible balding, however, you should evaluate whether or not you’re losing hair. 

Here are four signs that may be going bald.

1. Gradual Loss of Hair

Sometimes, hair loss occurs suddenly. In rare instances, a physical or emotional trigger can loosen hair and cause large chunks of hair to fall out. Called telogen effluvium, this type of hair loss develops when scalp hair follicles lose their hair due to a shock (stress, illness, medication, or environmental factor). Hair follicles are most susceptible to this type of hair loss while in a resting state called telogen. 

Although the condition can still cause feelings of panic about losing hair, most instances of telogen effluvium are temporary. Gradual hair loss, however, is something to be concerned about as it can be a sign of going bald. According to the Mayo Clinic, hereditary hair loss is the most common cause of baldness, and it happens slowly over time. Unlike telogen effluvium, hereditary hair loss is permanent.  (03)

2. Developing a Receding Hairline

One of the most common types of hereditary hair loss is male pattern baldness, and the hallmark sign of male pattern baldness is a receding hairline. (04) Because a receding hairline occurs incrementally, it’s a sign that’s easy to ignore or overlook. The following are the most common signs of a receding hairline: 

  • You notice your forehead looks larger than usual. 
  • Your hairline begins to make an “M” shape. 
  • The temple area of your hairline appears thinner than before. 

A receding hairline can happen due to headwear. Tight-fitting headwear like baseball caps and headbands may encourage loss of hair at the hairline by restricting blood flow and through repeated motions (taking the hat on and off). In some cases, men with male pattern baldness may attribute a receding hairline to their hats rather than a hair condition. So, if you notice your hairline is receding, you may be experiencing hair loss. 

3. The Appearance of Random Bald Spots

Have you noticed bald spots or sparse areas that weren’t there before? Patchy, thinning hair and random bald spots may indicate the start of male pattern baldness or a condition called alopecia areata (03). With alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder, hair falls out in round patchy areas or a band-like pattern around the head. Alopecia areata may also affect facial hair – creating small bald patches in the beard area or eyebrows. 

Another condition that begins with bald spots is hereditary baldness. Although hereditary baldness usually starts with a receding hairline, the condition can also begin with an expanding crown. Furthermore, women who experience female pattern baldness typically see different signs than men with male pattern baldness. (05)

A few of these signs are:

  • Thinning at the crown or hairline. 
  • Widening of the center part in a Christmas-tree pattern. 
  • Front hairline typically remains unaltered. 

Compared with male pattern baldness, hair loss associated with female pattern baldness doesn’t usually progress to full hair loss. Women typically keep most of their hair. Despite this, any hair loss can still be very distressing for women and may require treatment. 

4. Your Hair Isn’t Growing

According to the Academy of Dermatology, hair at the top of your head grows at an average rate of about six inches every year. This means that you can expect about a half-inch of growth every month. 

Your grows in three stages: (06)

  • Anagen Phase: Active growth lasting about 2 to 8 years. 
  • Catagen Phase: Hair halts its growth, lasting about 4 to 6 weeks. 
  • Telogen Phase: Resting phase, then hair falls out of the follicle, lasts about 2 to 3 months. 

Only about 5-10 percent of your hair is in the telogen phase at any given time. In contrast, most of your hair is in its growth phase. Your hair’s rate of growth depends on your age, health, genetics, and environmental factors. 

If your hair is thinning and you notice your hair’s growth is slowing, however, it may be because you have less hair than before. As you lose hair, you have less hair in the growth phase. The reduction in hair may make it appear as though your hair is growing more slowly. 

How Likely are You to Go Bald?

People who are experiencing hair loss often want to know when and if they’ll go bald. Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict exactly if and when you will lose all your hair. Genetics plays a significant role in determining how much hair you’ll lose over time. Other factors, like stress, nutrition, and your health also affect whether or not you might lose your hair. 

There’s no way to predict when you’ll go bald. You can, however, look at your family history. Genes are the primary factor that causes female and male pattern baldness. Also, women are much less likely to lose all of their hair when compared to men. 

While researchers still have much to learn when it comes to hereditary baldness, its cause is thought to be polygenic – involving two or more genes. A few genes for male pattern baldness are thought to exist in the “X” chromosome (07), the chromosome inherited through a male’s mother. A 2017 literature review, however, also found 63 genes for male pattern baldness that exists in the “Y” chromosome inherited from a father (08). 

These studies indicate that  interplay between genes may be what leads to inherited hair loss. If you’re wondering if you’ll go bald, look at your family. 

What You Should Do if You Think You’re Going Bald

There’s no timeline for how long it takes to lose all your hair. But if you really are going bald, it won’t happen overnight. Losing all your hair is a gradual process that  takes years or decades. In spite of this, you should intervene as soon as you suspect you’re losing your hair. Why? Because the sooner you start managing your hair loss the better the results will be. 
Think you’re going bald? Taking steps as quickly as possible to protect your hair and scalp can lead to improved hair retention. Whether managing hair loss means changing your lifestyle habits or taking a prescription-grade treatment for hair loss like Happy Head, quick intervention means keeping more of your hair.

Resources:

(01) https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-do-men-go-bald-and-is-there-anything-you-can-really-do-about-it/

(02) https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/292492

(03) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hair-loss/symptoms-causes/syc-20372926

(04) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001177.htm

(05) https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/female-pattern-baldness

(06) https://www.aad.org/public/kids/hair/how-hair-grows

(07) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5308812/(08) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28272467/