What causes balding in men? Hint: genetics and testosterone

If you’ve observed your hairline receding, the prominence of your widow’s peak increasing, a new bald patch appearing, or even a few extra hairs on your pillow or in your hairbrush, male pattern baldness may most likely be the cause. Even though it is commonly believed by the general public, a hat or non-organic shampoo and other hair care products haven’t been shown by research to cause male pattern baldness.

When you realize that your hairline is receding, it’s easy to freak out. Fortunately, there are several effective and safe hair loss treatments available today that may help you maintain your hair, make lost hair regrow properly, and restore your self-esteem to where it once was before your hair loss.

What is Male Pattern Baldness?

Male pattern baldness is known as an androgenetic disorder or androgenetic alopecia. It causes men to lose their hair due to their genetics and hormones. More than half of all males over the age of fifty suffer from hair loss as a result of this condition. This condition is most frequent among middle-aged and older males, but it can occur at any age.

Male Pattern Baldness Symptoms

Male pattern baldness is mainly characterized by thinning hair. Male pattern baldness can occur in different forms such as diffuse thinning and receding hairline and it happens gradually. For years, you may not notice any hair loss or changes in your hair pattern. However, you may notice it, especially when you look in the mirror in a bright, harsh atmosphere or when your hair is wet.

Thinning Crown

Men with male pattern baldness are not all affected by thinning at the hairline. If you’re likely to suffer male pattern baldness but don’t have a receding hairline, the hair at the top of your head may thin and fall out. It’s usual for men with thinning crowns not to detect their hair loss until it has advanced because hair loss around the crown of the head is difficult to see in the mirror.

Receding Hairline

As their hairline begins to thin, most men become aware of the beginning of male pattern baldness. If you are suffering from male pattern baldness, you may notice that the corners of your hairline are receding, and your widow’s peak (forelock) is getting longer. Some people’s hairlines recede differently than others. Your whole hairline may recede evenly if you have a family history of male pattern baldness. Also, the M-shaped pattern of hair loss that some men see is a sign of male pattern baldness.

Diffuse Thinning

Hair loss that affects the entire scalp, resulting in thinning hair without noticeable changes to the hairline, is known as diffuse thinning. Even though it’s less common than thinning at the crown or a receding hairline, diffuse baldness is commonly accompanied by this male pattern baldness. The most obvious signs of this type of hair loss are when your hair is damp or in strong lighting, which highlights the scalp.

Causes of Male Pattern Baldness

Your androgenic hormone production (DHT) and your hair’s susceptibility to these hormones play a role in the development of male pattern baldness. DHT, a naturally occurring androgen (male hormone), is usually produced by your body.

A little amount of testosterone produced by your body is converted into DHT daily, which means DHT is a byproduct of the sex hormone. Hair loss occurs as DHT binds to your hair follicles. DHT shrinks and weakens your hair follicles once it attaches to them, resulting in slower hair growth and, eventually, no new hair growth.

However, DHT may not be a huge concern to some men because it doesn’t seem to have any obvious effect on their hair since it freely circulates throughout their bodies. Men who are very susceptible to DHT, on the other hand, may start noticing signs of hair thinning as early as their mid-20s or even their late teens. Hair thinning and shedding happens faster if your hair follicles are more susceptible to DHT.

Other Non-Male Pattern Baldness Causes of Hair Loss

• Alopecia areata
• Thyroid disorders
• Medical Conditions
• Some Medication such as one for high blood pressure
• Bathing with hard water
• Stress and Anxiety.
• Rapid weight loss
• Genetics
• Age

Treating and Preventing Male Pattern Hair Loss

Medications for Hair Loss

The Food and Drug Administration has approved two medications for men with hair loss: finasteride and minoxidil.

Minoxidil: Minoxidil is the generic term for Rogaine. It’s a topical treatment that encourages hair regrowth. It stimulates your hair follicles to start the growth process. Hence, blood flow is increased to your hair, and vital nutrients are transported to your hair follicles which makes it grow.

Finasteride:  This is the generic term for Propecia. Finasteride is a hormone-blocking medicine used to treat male pattern baldness. You can use it to stop the formation of 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT in your body. Studies show that a hair loss preventive dosage of finasteride can reduce DHT levels by up to 71.4 percent.

Other Treatments for Hair Loss

Hair transplant:This involves transplanting hairs from the back and sides of your head (which are unaffected by male pattern baldness) to your crown, hairline, or other places where you’ve lost your hair. Hair transplant surgery, when performed by a qualified surgeon, can restore your hairline and almost erase all traces of hair loss.

Wigs: A wig has been the go-to solution for men experiencing hair loss for a long time. Although it may be inconvenient and unconvincing to some individuals, they’re beneficial to others. They can be costly for male pattern baldness since they are not prescribed on the NHS.

The Bottom Line

If you experience severe hair loss and are not interested in treating it, you can choose to accept it. The bald style can be a great option if you are confident enough to rock it. However, if you’re not comfortable with it, you can choose to get treatment for it.

Schedule Your Consultation

For your hair transplant procedure, call us at our practice today. Our experienced hair restoration specialist from Northwestern Hair, Dr. Rawlani, will be happy to meet with you and enlighten you about your hair transplant options and when you can resume with your physical fitness routine. With us, you are certain to get excellent and compassionate hair transplant services.