As a man, you may feel there are a few things in life that you can’t change: death, taxes and male-pattern baldness. However, there are some solutions for thinning and receding hair. Read on to learn more about the reasons why men lose their hair and if there is anything you can do about it.
What causes hair loss in men?
For approximately 95% of men, hair loss is caused by a hereditary condition known as androgenetic alopecia, more commonly known as male-pattern baldness.
This inherited trait gives men a receding hairline and a thinning crown and is caused by genetic sensitivity to a by-product of the hormone testosterone, called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
The hormone causes your hair follicles to shrink and as they get smaller, the hair that grows back tends to be finer, thinner and shorter. Eventually, it takes longer for hair to grow back and the follicles will shrink so that ultimately no hair grows at all.
There are, however, medications available to help combat male-pattern (hereditary) baldness.
Treatments to help prevent male-pattern baldness
Topical hair loss treatment
Over-the-counter, nonprescription, minoxidil comes in liquid, foam and shampoo forms. To be most effective, the product needs to be applied to the scalp skin twice daily.
Products with minoxidil help slow the rate of hair loss, regrow their hair or even both; but, it’ll take at least six months of treatment to prevent further hair loss and to restart hair growth. It will probably take a few more months to tell whether the treatment is working for you and if it’s helping, you’ll need to continue using the medicine indefinitely to keep the benefits. As with any product, there may be possible side effects including scalp irritation and unwanted hair growth on the adjacent skin of the face and hands.
Oral hair loss treatment
Propecia is the brand name for the active ingredient Finasteride: they are the same drug and cause the same effects. This is a prescription drug for men taken daily as a pill. Many men taking oral finasteride experience a slowing of hair loss, and some may even show new hair growth. It may take a few months to tell whether it’s working for you and you’ll need to keep taking it to retain any benefits.
There are rare side effects of finasteride that include diminished sex drive and sexual function and there is a possible increased risk of prostate cancer. The withdrawal of treatment leads to reversal of effect within 12 months. Finasteride doesn’t work as well for men aged over 60.
Hair Transplant Surgery
The only surgery available for hair loss is hair transplant surgery, which works well for men with male pattern baldness. Hair transplantation is a surgical technique that involves removing hair follicles from the scalp at the back of the head, where the follicles are resistant to DHT, called the donor site, to a bald or balding part of the scalp known as the recipient site.
A hair transplant is suitable for people with permanent, hereditary baldness but not usually suitable for people with other types of hair loss, such as alopecia, the type that causes bald patches.
If you’re looking for the premier expert in hair transplant surgery, then look no further than Enhance Hair Restoration: book a free consultation to discuss the best options for you.
FUE vs FUT hair transplant
When you are first considering a hair transplant, it is important to investigate the difference between FUE vs FUT hair transplant.
FUT stands for Follicular Unit Transplantation, and is strip harvesting or strip procedure. Thousands of hair follicles are collected by removing a strip of hair from the back or sides of the scalp. The donor strip is then placed under a specially designed microscope where it’s dissected into individual follicular units of one to four hairs.
The surgeon makes tiny incision sites ready to insert the new hair grafts to restore a natural hairline, increase the density of the hair and reduce the appearance of balding. As the hair follicles come from you, they should not be rejected by your body when the procedure is complete.
Follicular unit extraction, or FUE, is the process of taking individual hair follicles from your scalp and moving them to where hair’s thinner or absent. FUE is minimally invasive hair that takes away the need for a linear donor incision.
Hair Micropigmentation
As an alternative to a hair transplant, the Scalp MicroPigmentation hair loss treatment at Enhance Hair Restoration provides a solution for men suffering from general hair loss, alopecia, or scalp scars. This solution is immediate, permanent, realistic, hassle-free, non-invasive and cost-effective. Scalp MicroPigmentation is a highly detailed process that creates an incredibly natural-looking simulation of micro hairs. Application of the technique can result in the appearance of a cropped hairstyle, regardless of your hair loss situation. Even clients who are completely bald can have a natural-looking hairstyle again..
Enhance Hair Restoration
The Enhance Hair Restoration team understands the stigma that comes with hair loss and thinning hair. Put yourselves in their capable hands to discuss your options for a hair replacement solution if you are concerned about your hair loss and are seeking a hair transplantation.