The hair on our head means more to us than we imagine. The minute we notice hair falling out more than usual, we panic and seek ways to correct it. Sometimes it may be temporary, but there are many cases it may progress and never regrow if you don’t correct it.
Hair loss can occur at ANY age, and men are more susceptible to it than women. Male pattern baldness is responsible for 95 percent of hair loss in men, young and old. Read this guide if you need to learn the signs of male pattern baldness and what you can do about it.
Is It Thinning Hair, or Is It Male Pattern Baldness?
Men and women lose hair daily. Hair that is lost is lost grows back and is naturally replaced. Hair grows and dies within the hair follicles. When you are losing more hair than you replace, many of your hair follicles are in the dormant stage rather than the growing stage.
The average hair growth cycle takes two to seven years before a follicle enters the dormant stage. When you have thinning hair, you are experiencing thinning hair because you have more dormant hair follicles than follicles in the growth stage.
Thinning Hair
When you have thinning hair, you may notice hair loss anywhere on your head. It is most common at the top of the head. Sometimes the hair loss may be significant and occur in patches or a circular formation. In more severe cases, thinning hair may even be sudden.
When you have thinning hair, it’s often because of a vitamin deficit or an inflammatory reaction. If you apply something to your hair that makes your scalp itchy or sensitive, you may notice your hair starts to shed more than usual.
In other cases, it may be related to a hormone imbalance. You can reverse signs of thinning hair by identifying the cause.
Male Pattern Hair Baldness
Men who have male pattern baldness have the genes for it. Genetics play a strong role in its appearance. Although this type of baldness can occur anywhere, men will often experience hair loss at the temples. Men may have unilateral baldness on one side, or they can have baldness on both sides.
The cause of male pattern baldness isn’t just genes alone, although it does play a major role. The main reason men develop it may be because men have higher levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) than they need.
Of course, testosterone is important for men, but too much testosterone circulating in the system can be bad. It converts to DHT and deposits itself on the scalp. DHT can cause hair follicles to decrease in size.
This doesn’t mean testosterone is the real issue. It’s more an issue of the response the converting testosterone has with the follicles.
Signs of Male Pattern Baldness
Sometimes it can be hard to find out if you are experiencing hair thinning or have male pattern baldness because the two can intertwine. There are symptoms you are more likely to see with male pattern baldness.
A Change in Your Hairline
When you have full hair, you will almost always notice when it starts to get thin, especially if the hair is thinning at the hairline. Men that have male pattern baldness will notice their hair beginning to recede. It will take on the characteristic “M” shape.
Hair loss will start at the beginning of the forehead and dig its way into the temples. Noticing hair loss at the crown, or top, of your head, is also possible as with general thinning.
Thinning Hair
Sometimes male pattern baldness will spare your hairline, and the only thing you spot is thinning hair. You may or may not notice this if you don’t know the normal density of your hair. When you look in the mirror, hold your hair, or touch it and think you have a change, it may not just be your imagination.
The best way to verify if you really have thinning hair is to start taking pictures of your hair and at the crown. You can do this every week until you are confident of the issue.
Abnormal Hair Loss After Cleansing or Brushing Hair
You lose hair every day, so seeing hair in the shower or on your brush isn’t alarming. When you begin to lose more than the average 100 strands of hair a day or notice the strands of hair you lose are at the bulb, this is abnormal. This means you
It’s best to record how much hair you lose every time you wash or brush your hair. If the ball of hair you are losing doesn’t change or increase, you may want to suspect male pattern baldness.
Find Your Best Treatment Options
The good news is male pattern hair baldness is a progressive issue. You will rarely lose your hair all at once. Since it is progressive, there are ways to slow down and even reverse it.
You can style your hair differently as you look for solutions, but it will not address the problem. The problem is at the hair follicles, so reversing the shrinkage or creating new hair follicles is how to treat it.
It may help to take supplements, like saw palmetto, that block DHT and excess testosterone accumulation responsible for hair loss. Awakening the hair follicles through frequent scalp massages are also helpful. Be sure to use (and dilute) essential oils like peppermint that may help stimulate hair growth.
Using Medication For Signs of Male Pattern Hair Baldness
Some men opt for a hair transplant. While it’s a good option, hair transplants are expensive and take months to notice results. It is better to use medication first to address signs of male pattern baldness like finasteride and minoxidil. Topical hair treatments, such as Rogaine, are also helpful. While you will not see results overnight either, you will see changes in a matter of weeks.
If you are seeking treatment with medication and have a prescription, contact us, or start an order online.