Hair Loss and Balding, Causes and Treatments

Male Pattern Baldness

If you’re losing your hair, you’re not alone. In fact, 25 percent of men under the age of 30 and two thirds of those under sixty suffer from some form of androgenetic alopecia, more commonly called “male pattern baldness.” Male pattern baldness typically begins at the temples and/or the crown of the head although sometimes it can begin in other parts of the scalp. Male pattern baldness is a genetically inherited trait caused by the body’s hormones. An enzyme called 5-alpha reductase converts testosterone into dihydrotesterone (DHT). DHT harms the hair follicles by attacking hormone receptors on the follicles, which as a result produces weak, short hairs that can’t grow as long and sometimes causes the follicles to stop growing hairs entirely. Androgenetic alopecia occurs in both men and women, however, it is more common among men.

Baldness in Other Species

Interestingly, humans are not the only species that goes bald. Other primates such as the chimpanzee, the South American uakari, orangutans, and the stump-tailed macaque also inherit baldness. Since the same trait appears in several different species, many believe that it must convey some evolutionary advantage. Scientists, however, have been unable to come to a consensus over what it might be; theories range from genetic drift and genetic linkage with another unrelated trait to sexual selection by mates. Research continues in this area and recent studies have determined that baldness isn’t caused by just one gene but several different genes, although exactly how they work together is uncertain.

Folklore

Whatever the cause of baldness, men have been trying to alleviate it for generations, which has led to a lot of folk lore about its causes and cures. Ideas for cures have ranged from

• massaging the scalp to open up the follicles to
• standing on your head to increase the blood flow to the follicles

The folklore of the causes of hair loss range from

• too much mental activity to
• wearing tight hats too often

Even the ancient Egyptians tried to come up with a cure; they would rub rancid animal fats over bald areas to stimulate hair growth. We wonder if this wasn’t a case of the cure being worse than the disease since the Egyptians believed that the fouler smelling the fat, the more effective it would be. Thankfully, the majority of men today would prefer to go bald then smell like a rotting water buffalo.

Hair Loss Treatment

The search for a cure to baldness continues today and now there are several options to help alleviate baldness (don’t worry, none of them involve rancid animal fats). The treatments for baldness can be broken into to three categories:

• prescription medications
• surgical treatments
• cosmetic treatments

Medications to Treat Hair Loss

For the first category, prescription medications, there are two main drugs. The first one is applied topically. This drug was first used to treat high blood pressure, but is now in wide use as a topical solution to treat hairloss. It is not clear exactly how it works, however, it has been shown to re-grow hair in 20 percent of men and prevent further hair loss in 90 percent. Topical solutions work best in younger men and those that have recently started balding. It appears to prolong the growing cycle of hair, cause follicles to grow thicker hair, and make resting follicles start to grow hair. Keep in mind, however, this is a medication and, if you stop using it, the results will go away.

The other medication was originally used to treat enlargement of the prostate but is now approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat male pattern baldness. This medication is taken orally instead of topically. It inhibits the conversion of testosterone to DHT in the body, which stops or reverses the effects of DHT on the hair follicles. It has been shown, in some studies, to re-grow hair in as much as much as 50 percent of men and stop hair loss in an even larger percentage. There are side effects however, such as loss of sex drive and sexual function. There is also a risk of birth defects, so this medication is not approved for women and women who are or may be pregnant should not even handle the pills.

Get more information on specific hair loss medications.

Surgical Treatment for Hair Loss

The second type of hair restoration is surgical treatment. There are two commonly used surgical techniques to restore hair. Surgery does not re-grow hair in the way that prescription medications do, instead they physically move hair from one part of the head to another.

The first kind of surgical treatment for hair loss is hair transplant surgery. With hair transplant surgery, healthy hair follicles are moved from one area of the scalp and transplanted in a balding area. The transplant hairs are typically removed from the sides or back of the head in groups of one to three hairs. Transplanted follicles can be permanent, but they can also start to fall out after a few years. The idea of synthetic fibers instead of live hair follicles has been suggested, however, it has been rejected by the FDA because of a high rate of infection.

Another kind of hair replacement surgery is scalp reduction. With scalp reduction, balding areas of the scalp are removed and areas of the scalp that can still grow hair are stretched to cover the bald area. Scalp reduction surgery is not for everyone; its success depends on the elasticity of the scalp and the amount of scalp that needs to be covered.

All surgeries no matter how minor carry risks, including infection and scarring. If you are considering surgery for baldness, consult your doctor before having anything done.

Cosmetic Treatments for Hair Loss

Besides surgery and drugs there are also cosmetic treatments for hair loss. Cosmetic treatments won’t last as long as, but they don’t carry the risks of surgery and medications. Some of the best known cosmetic solutions to hair loss are wigs and toupees. Real hair wigs and toupees can be expensive, but with regular washing and care, they can last a very long time. Sometimes weaves of synthetic hairs are sewn in with existing hair, however, a weave has to be replaced regularly as existing hair grows. There are also a number of products that claim to thicken or reinforce hair. These products, however, are nothing more than waxes and oils that make hair appear thicker as they build up.

Bald is Beautiful

Today men have options when it comes to dealing with hair loss, but that doesn’t mean they have to. There are no negative health effects of baldness and today many men are choosing to declare, “Bald is beautiful!” Whether or not you choose to treat your hair loss, be sure to weigh the risks of whatever technique you have chosen. Some risks aren’t worth it, not even for a full head of hair.

Baldness Logic Puzzle Can you solve this hard logic puzzle. Einstein thought you could not.

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