Male Pattern Baldness – Options & Treatments
Male Pattern Baldness is a condition shared by millions of men around the world and is the most common cause of male hair loss. Known by its scientific name of Androgenetic Alopecia, Male Pattern Baldness or MPB is estimated to affect around 85% of men over the age of 50. A result of genetics and hormonal functions, male pattern baldness is characterised by thinning on the crown and a receding hairline.
Male Pattern Baldness is usually caused by an androgen, or male hormone called Dihydrotestosterone. Dihydrotestosterone is a form of Testosterone produced by the 5-alpha enzyme and has a particularly debilitating effect on hair follicles. Follicles affected by Dihydrotestosterone have a shorter growth cycle and eventually lose the ability to grow hair altogether.
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.
The condition is in fact named after these typical hair loss patterns and point directly to the effects of Dihydrotestosterone. Diagnosis of Male Pattern Baldness is a fairly straight forward matter as the pattern of hair loss due to other conditions such as Folliculitis for example is quite distinct and not easily mistaken for Androgenetic Alopecia.
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.
Androgenetic Alopecia is a complex condition and the best remedy is a combination hair regrowth treatment. Reducing or even eliminating the creation of DHT and also providing the proper nutrients for hair follicles to thrive and have healthy growth cycles.
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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