I would like to share with you some useful and interesting facts about hair loss in men. I collected these ten facts from various online and offline sources. These facts about hair loss in men should not only help you gain a clear understanding of the condition, but may also offer some hope that an effective treatment exists for you.
I hope this helps!
10 interesting facts about hair loss in men:
- Androgenic alopecia, better known as male pattern baldness, is the most common type of hair loss on the planet, affecting nearly 50% of all men over the age of 50.
- The main cause of male pattern baldness is the buildup of male sex hormones known as androgens. The most disgusting of them is dihydrotestosteroneor DHT.
- DHT negatively affects normal hair growth by adhering to the follicles and making them unable to absorb proper nutrients from the scalp’s blood supply. In essence, DHT chokes the hair to death!
- Initially, the effects of DHT buildup will manifest as thin patches on the crown and “widow peak” areas of the head. The hair is usually very fine and begins to disappear.
- If left untreated for a long period of time, androgenic alopecia will continue to starve the hair follicles until they are no longer thin…they will disappear! This is how total baldness occurs.
- If an individual is in this last stage of alopecia, their treatment options are very limited. Plugs, transplants, hair pieces, hats, and good Bic razors are pretty much what’s limited!
- In the early and middle stages of alopecia, when the hair is thin but still visible, DHT blockers can be used to slow, stop, and in many cases even counter Hair loss.
- The only FDA-approved hair loss treatments available for men with early to intermediate stages of alopecia are finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil (Rogaine).
- Minoxidil was originally designed as a blood pressure medication. One of its most common side effects was excessive hair growth! This material worked even earlier than it was supposed to, and today produces an approximately 64% success rate when used alone.
- Finasteride boasts an even higher success rate… 83 percent. Unfortunately, this hair loss treatment option for men also carries the risk of serious sexual side effects. A natural alternative to the drug is the extract of a North American palm plant known as saw palmetto.
In addition to these ten facts about hair loss in men, you might want to know that minoxidil and finasteride (or saw palmetto) can be taken at the same time, and when taken, the success rate is below clouds.
