Causes of premature balding
and effective hair loss solutions.
Baldness in men is almost a
foregone conclusion. Most men accept that eventually they will lose their hair,
and while most men expect thinning hair once they reach there mid 50's, they
hope to have a full head of hair until then. Therefore to start losing your hair
in your mid 20's or even earlier can be very distressing. Why is it some men
suffer with premature balding and what are some effective
hair loss solutions?
Knowing the causes of
premature baldness can help in finding an effective solution.
The exact causes of balding
prematurely, or androgenic
alopecia, has puzzled researchers for many years, but
in recent years advances have been made in understanding the causes and
determining what does NOT contribute to hair loss at an early age, for example,
diet, climate or race have been found to have very little influence on whether a
man experiences hair loss or not.
What early balding appears to
come down to is genes and, ironically, testosterone. What makes men grow hair in
the first place when they reach puberty, appears in some cases, when combined
with a testosterone derived hormone called DHT, to slow down the growth of hair
follicles on the scalp. Therefore, if the presence of DHT can be minimized,
theoretically the hair loss process can be reversed or slowed down.
The most well known drug for
reversing hair loss by controlling the presence of DHT, is Propecia (finasteride).
Another popular drug called Rogaine (minoxidil) is also used as a male hair loss
treatment. This drug started out as a treatment for high blood pressure, but one
of the side effects was seen to be increased hair growth. Just how it works is
still unknown. However, both these drugs are approved by the FDA and have had
proven success in partially restoring hair loss.
An alternative to drugs as a hair
loss solution is to try a natural hair loss product. Natural extracts of saw palmetto
and fenugreek have been proved to reduce DHT and increase blood flow to the
scalp, another important factor in reversing hair loss. There are an increasing
number of hair
loss treatments that include these and other natural products that can help
reverse the balding process.
A third option is to go the
surgical route. Hair transplants have come a long way in the last few years and
there are various techniques depending on the type of baldness you have. There
is micro grafting, slit grafting, punch grafting and scalp reduction.
A fourth option and one that
requires accepting baldness as a fact, is to cut your hair short or go for the
shaved look. Fortunately at the moment fashion favors this look with athletes,
actors and other famous personalities going for the shaved look. Fundamental to
any hair care routine is to keep the hair clean and oil free, and gently massage
the scalp to encourage blood circulation.
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