WEDNESDAY, June 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Have you ever seen more hair within the shower or on the toilet floor than usual?
Grab a mirror and check out your head. If it looks such as you’re “going bald,” you might have androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness).
Based on the Cleveland Clinic, male pattern baldness may be very common. If you need to do something about this condition, you do have options. Here, experts break down what male pattern baldness is, its causes and symptoms, and what medications and coverings may help.
What’s male pattern baldness?
Male pattern baldness is a kind of hair loss — specifically the lack of hair above your ears. This kind develops slowly, notes the American Academy of Dermatology. Most men experience hair loss in some unspecified time in the future of their lives.
How old were you whenever you first noticed your hair loss? Most definitely you were in your 30s, the Cleveland Clinic notes, but you might have been as young as an adolescent. The older you get, the more likely you might be to see the symptoms of male pattern baldness.
What causes male pattern baldness?
You might have heard about male pattern baldness genetics. Yes, male pattern baldness is generally influenced by the genes you’re born with. There could also be a history of it in your loved ones. Interestingly, the genes passed down in your mother’s side of the family can even affect your risk. So, if you need to get an idea about what you might appear to be as you become old, observe your maternal grandfather’s hair.
Male pattern baldness symptoms
Male pattern baldness symptoms aren’t complex. There are only a couple of.
“First,” dermatologist Dr. Dawn Davis said in a recent Mayo Clinic article, men will “notice thinning across the temples, after which that continues to recede backward toward the back of the scalp. Those areas then eventually meet with a balding spot near the hair whorl at the back of the crown of the scalp.”
The common pattern that provides male pattern baldness its name is the form of the letter “M” left behind after the baldness spreads. You could see this shape made by your remaining hair if you happen to take a look at your head from above.
Male pattern baldness treatments
Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all quick cure for male pattern baldness. But, in response to the American Academy of Dermatology, treatment can:
- Reduce the likelihood that you simply’ll lose more hair
- Regrow some hair
Dermatologist Dr. Amy Kassouf, of the Cleveland Clinic, stated in an article that, “Recent advances offer quite a lot of hope in each treating and stopping various kinds of baldness.”
One popular male pattern baldness medication is named minoxidil, also often known as Rogaine. Right now, minoxidil and finasteride (Propecia) are the one medications you possibly can get to treat pattern baldness which might be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Rogaine works by making your blood vessels wider, explains the Cleveland Clinic. This helps more blood get to the hair follicles in your head. Propecia works along with your hormones. It stops your testosterone from converting right into a hormone called DHT. Experts think that DHT might influence the dimensions of your hair follicles — making them smaller.
There are also surgical options, like a hair transplant. That’s when your health care provider takes skin that has healthy hair and moves it to your scalp. You could need multiple transplant before your hair looks natural.
You might also try platelet-rich plasma injections. This process involves injecting your individual plasma into your scalp to assist it grow hair.
Finally, there are wigs which will look natural for you. You too can consult with a hair stylist about how one can comb your hair best to cover the balding. In the event you notice that you simply’re losing hair, consult with your health care provider about your options. It’s essential to start treatment as soon as possible.