Coping with Hair Loss

Few fears strike at the hearts of men more than the prospect of going bald, and there are many unproven treatments that prey on this insecurity. Male pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia, is the most common form of hair loss and is caused by an inherited sensitivity on the scalp to certain normally occurring hormones called androgens. By the age of 30, about one-third of males show signs of baldness, and by 50 half are affected.

So what can you do? Of all the available treatments, only two have been shown to have any effect. These are finasteride (trade name Propecia), which is a drug available on prescription, and the over-the-counter lotion called minoxidil (trade name Regaine). Both can delay loss, or even stimulate some regrowth in some circumstances, but are by no means universal cures. For a start they are most effective in the early stages of hair loss. “If you hardly have any hair left on the scalp, you can’t grow it back, so don’t bother,” says Dr John Gray of the Institute of Trichologists.

To work, they must also be taken for some time – between four months and a year – and if you stop the treatment any effects reverse. There are side effects. For example, about 2% of finasteride users experience decreased libido or reduced ejaculatory volume.

A more expensive long-term option is transplant surgery. Plugs of skin containing 3-6 hair follicles or just one hair are transferred from the back or side of the head to the scalp, where they will continue to grow unaffected by androgens. If you want to try this route, it’s essential first to consult a registered trichologist (see Taking It Further). Sessions over several years may be necessary, and these may cost up to £10,000.


1 How hair loss occurs

Each of the 100,000 hairs on your head grows in a 2-5 year cycle, after which it falls out and is replaced. In some men, a genetic sensitivity to androgens (a type of hormone) causes this cycle to shorten. It also reduces the diameter of each replacement hair. The gene responsible for this sensitivity can be inherited from either parent’s side of the family

2 Where loss occurs

Hair loss usually begins in the front temporal areas, progressing to the crown. The rate of loss varies between people, and the process can take from 5 to 25 years. As part of normal growth cycles, we lose around 100 hairs a day naturally

Source - Times Online

To learn the 'No-Hype Approach to Stop Hair Loss and Permanently Re-Grow Your Hair', check out this 'Hair Loss Black Book' and find out the 'Natural Techniques the OTC Companies do not want you to know'


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