Who says hair fall is just a woman’s thing? Men suffer from hair loss too. In fact, it’s a nightmare for most men. The worst type of hair loss for men is male pattern baldness when they lose hair on some portions of the scalp, specifically at the top, without affecting the hair on the sides.
If this seems familiar to you, we bet you must have tried all sorts of remedies for it – whether it is applying oil or some of the other cosmetics in the market. Nothing worked, did it? Male pattern baldness is not curable, impossible even in some instances. But the silver lining is that hair loss may be slowed down using some therapies.
This blog will discuss the causes, treatment options and some of the tips that may help.
Covering the basics
Male pattern baldness generally manifests in three ways, including a receding hairline, hair thinning on the crown and all over the top of the head.
Researchers believe that it is caused by genetics, usually, involving sex hormones called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is derived from testosterone. This hormone is crucial in puberty and, hence responsible for hardening your voice, regulating body hair growth and storing fat and muscles.
The hair follicles shrink and become less productive in men who have inherited sensitivity to DHT, leading to hair thinning. If left untreated, hair thinning can lead to baldness.
Difference between hair loss and male pattern baldness: How to differentiate
Hair loss and male pattern baldness have been used interchangeably. However, it is important to note that male pattern baldness is a form of hair loss, not otherwise. In simple words, general hair loss may not always lead to male pattern baldness. But male pattern baldness stems from hair loss, especially receding hairline.
In addition, it is important to understand that each hair strand goes through different hair growth cycles. A normal hair loss cycle may involve losing 50-100 hair strands every day, which will regrow. In male pattern baldness, the hair doesn’t regrow. Male pattern baldness is a slow process and can take years to manifest. It usually occurs in patterns unlike in alopecia (normal hair loss caused by stress). The first stage involves a receding hairline, followed by hair loss at the crown, forming a horseshoe pattern at the end.
Here are a few characteristics of male pattern baldness
- Shedding of a large number of hairs
- Hair begins to appear thin, fragile and discoloured
- Bald patches appear
A few tips that can help slow down male pattern baldness
As we said before, being genetic, male pattern baldness is incurable. But there are a few tips that can slow down hair loss.
- Wash your hair with lukewarm water (Say NO to hot water). Dab your wet hair dry, don’t rub.
- As growth hormones are released at night, you must aim to get at least seven hours of sleep every night.
Treatment options
Here are a few treatment options that can slow down hair loss in male pattern baldness.
Non-surgical hair treatments:
These include over-the-counter medications including Finasteride and Minoxidil. Consult your dermatologist before proceeding with the medication. Either of the two may be prescribed according to your hair loss stage.
PRP (Plasma-rich platelets treatment):
It is a non-surgical treatment wherein concentrated platelets (derived from the patient’s blood) are injected into the scalp. This method could help speed up healing and hair growth. But the catch is that the treatment is expensive and may not be safe for every patient, especially those suffering from some or the other health condition.
Surgical hair loss treatment
This includes a hair transplant surgery. One of the most popular procedures is a Follicular Unit Excision (FUE) hair transplant. The surgery involves the extraction of hair follicles from the donor areas on the scalp. These hair follicles are planted on the affected area. This technique may cause scarring which won’t become noticeable once the hair has regrown.
Closing thoughts
So far, we have established that male pattern baldness is an incurable condition that leads to bald spots, and permanent balding if left untreated. However, there are several treatment options designed to slow down the process and speed up hair growth. Please consult with your dermatologist before proceeding with any medication or cosmetics. There are a plethora of cosmetics claiming to reverse the condition, but these are just marketing gimmicks; the condition remains incurable to date, mainly because it is genetic.
