Considerations When Selecting Male Hair Loss Treatment
Based on statistics of the American Hair Loss Association, more than 60% of men will experience appreciable hair loss by the age of 35. The statistics become more alarming the older you get, with approximately 85% of men at age 50 having significant thinning of their hair. Knowing that the odds may be against you, it pays to look at male hair loss treatment options sooner rather than later.
If you want to know what your hair future holds, just look at the men in your family. Yes, there is a hereditary factor in hair loss, despite all the stories that it is caused by wearing a baseball cap all day, or by stress, or even by excess sweating. No, androgenic alopecia is the real culprit. Also known as male pattern baldness, androgenic alopecia is a combination of heredity and hormones. The hormone is DHT, a testosterone byproduct. The heredity is that you have hair follicles that are sensitive to this hormone, causing the follicles to shorten. Over time the follicles stop growing hair.
Knowing that it is in your genetic makeup, there are some who suggest that you take a proactive approach and start tending to your hair before loss becomes a big problem. Whether you take a proactive or reactive approach to treatment, there are several options available for treating the loss of hair.
An easy option that you can try at home on your own is an over-the-counter product that you can buy at your local drug store. This includes a shampoo, which some claim is supposed to calm the inflammation of the hormone fluctuations. There is also a well advertised product that you can rub into your hair and scalp. Considered a growth stimulant, it is supposed to help what hair you have left grow. It will not cause hair to grow where it is already gone.
To date, there are only two products that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of hair loss. The first, and older, drug approved for this purpose can slow your hair loss, but will not create new hair growth since it does not affect DHT. A newer drug works by reducing DHT levels, allowing new hair to grow. This is the first drug to have been proven effective in treating male pattern baldness, with 65% of users in a clinical trial experiencing a highly noticeable increase in their growth of new hair.
If you have lost too much hair to be able to effectively use any of the drug options, you might want to investigate non-surgical hair replacement, often called a hairpiece or a toupee. There are many levels of quality of these types of products, so you must do your homework to find what meets your needs. A more extreme option is to do surgical hair restoration. This is basically a hair transplant, where DHT resistant hair from the back of your head is transplanted to the balding area. You might find it difficult to find a doctor to perform this procedure, as it is a unique specialty.
Whatever your situation, old or young, lots of hair loss or just a little, the message is that there is a male hair loss treatment that could work for you. It might take you some time to find the right option for your situation, but you can find much more information about this online.
If you are suffering from male pattern baldness, you are probably interesting in stopping hair loss. Male hair loss treatment can be effective when performed according to instructions.