Male Pattern Baldness – Is It Reversible?
By far the most common cause of male hair loss is Androgenetic Alopecia, commonly referred to as Male Pattern Baldness or MPB. Affecting an estimated 85% of men over the age of 50, Male Pattern Baldness is an inherited condition, usually the result of hormonal imbalances and results in the characteristic receding hairline and visibly thinning hair on the crown of the scalp.
Male pattern baldness is most commonly attributed to male hormones called Androgens and in particular, Dihydrotestosterone or DHT for short. DHT is a by-product of the chemical reaction between the 5-alpha Reductase enzyme and Testosterone in the body. It attaches to the hair follicles, starving these of the nutrients necessary to maintain normal hair growth. The affected follicles begin to produce weaker, thinner hair until eventually they lose the ability to grow hair entirely.
As the Dihydrotestosterone affects more and more follicles, the hair on the crown of the head becomes weaker and thinner until bare patches start to show. As the condition worsens, the bare patches on the crown eventually join with the receding hairline, leaving a completely bald crown and a ring of hair around the sides and back of the head.
This characteristic pattern of hair loss is where the term Male Pattern Baldness comes from and is a sure indication of DHT damage. Other conditions such as Folliculitis or Alopecia Areata result in other distinct hair loss patterns, so the conditions are difficult to be mis-diagnosed.
Several clinical studies into DHT inhibitors have been undertaken and the results are highly encouraging to millions of sufferers of male pattern baldness. Tests on several compounds have shown positive results and the evidence supporting the effectiveness of these DHT inhibitors is strong. So strong in fact that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) have gone so far as to approve one such DHT inhibitor, Minoxidil, as an ingredient for a hair regrowth treatment.
Nature though has also given us her own DHT blockers. Extracts from berries such as Saw Palmetto have been shown to have significant effects against the production of DHT. These berries contain fatty acids which slow down the activity of the 5-alpha Reductase enzyme and also prevent existing DHT from clogging the roots of hair follicles. Both these effects are welcome allies in the fight against male pattern baldness.
Other plant extracts such as oil extracts from Pumpkin Seeds and Nettle Root also have valuable properties as DHT blockers. Particularly in combination with Saw Palmetto, these natural DHT inhibitors provide effective ingredients in the treatment of Dihydrotestosterone induced hair loss.
To be truly effective a hair regrowth treatment should combine both sides of the hair loss equation, addressing the DHT and also the overall health of the follicles and hair.
Eliminating male pattern baldness starts with an effective DHT blocker such as Minoxidil. Combine this FDA approved ingredient with herbal extracts and you have the means to fight DHT production at its root. Nourish the hair follicles with vital ingredients such as Vitamins, Minerals and Ginseng and hair loss won’t know what hit it.
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