By age 35, two-thirds of American men will experience hair loss. By age 50 about 85% of men have significantly thinning hair.
About 25% of men who suffer from hair loss begin the process before age 21.
95% of hair loss in men is caused by male pattern baldness (MPB), or androgenetic alopecia.
Recognizing how grievous male pattern baldness can be for men of all ages, the American Hair Loss Association helps men get objective answers to their hair loss questions.
Causes of Male Pattern Baldness
Androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness (MPB), is the primary culprit for hair loss in men.
Other causes may include disease, reactions to medications, stress, or heredity.
Men with male pattern baldness inherit a genetic sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT causes hair follicles to miniaturize and shortens their lifespan. Follicles affected by DHT eventually stop producing hair.
A receding hairline and thinning crown are the trademarks of male pattern baldness. Hair in these areas, including the temples and mid-anterior scalp, seem to be the most sensitive to DHT.
Unless halted with hair restoration treatments, the pattern eventually becomes more visible baldness. Many men even lose all but a rim of hair around the sides and back.
What Is DHT?
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a derivative or by-product of testosterone. Testosterone converts to DHT through the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase.
While the science behind male pattern baldness is still not entirely understood, scientists know that DHT shrinks hair follicles, and that when DHT is suppressed, hair follicles continue growing.
Hair follicles sensitive to DHT must be exposed to the hormone for a prolonged period of time for the affected follicle to complete the miniaturization process.
Today, hair restoration treatments can slow or even stop the process of DHT-induced hair loss.
How to Diagnose Male Pattern Baldness
Board-certified hair restoration doctors, such as Dr. John Frank, diagnose male pattern baldness based on the appearance or pattern of hair loss in men, as well as a detailed medical history, which includes questions about hair loss in your family.
Hair loss doctors and dermatologists examine the scalp under magnification to assess the degree to which hair follicles are miniaturized. Only then can they recommend proper and customized hair loss treatments.
Using the Norwood Scale to Diagnose Hair Loss in Men
The “Norwood Scale” can be useful for diagnosing hair loss and prescribing hair replacement treatmens.
While there are many variants in male pattern baldness, the images on the Norwood Scale below are the most typical:
Male Pattern Baldness Treatments
Thankfully, due to advances in medicine, living with hair loss is no longer inevitable.
The development of 5-alpha-reductace inhibitors such as Propecia and the evolution of hair transplants give men options to restore their hair never before available — and with completely natural results.
Still, it must be stressed that most hair loss treatments being marketed today are ineffective.
It’s critical that you receive accurate information from a board-certified hair restoration doctor in New York about FDA-approved, American Hair Loss Association-approved, and effective hair restoration treatments to avoid wasting time and money.
It’s also highly recommended that you start hair loss treatments sooner than later to save money and increase your chances of successful hair restoration.
Two FDA-Approved Hair Loss Treatments
Finasteride (Proscar, Propecia): Finasteride is the generic name for what you may know as Proscar and Propecia.
Merck developed Finasteride to treat enlarged prostate glands. But they discovered an interesting side effect in trials: hair growth in men.
The FDA approvedfinasteride for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) in men in 1997.
Propecia is the first drug to effectively treat male pattern baldness in the majority of users.
The drug works by inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Proper daily doses of Propecia can effectively lower DHT levels in the scalp by as much as 60%.
65% of trial participants experienced a substantial increase in hair growth.
Minoxidil: This was the first drug approved by the FDA to treat male pattern baldness.
For many years, it was used to treat high blood pressure. But researchers also discovered hair growth in users.
They began applying minoxidil topically, directly on the head, to successfully grow hair on balding areas.
Despite its success, however, most hair loss experts don’t consider it the most effective treatment for hair loss because it has no effect on the hormonal process of hair loss.
© 2012, John Frank, M.D.