Male hair loss is incredibly common; if you have noticed a little thinning in your air, then take some solace in the fact that you are not alone. However, it does need addressing because often, hair loss only begins to become noticeable after you have already lost a significant amount of hair. Dealing with hair loss isn’t necessarily an exercise in vanity. Losing your hair can be extremely damaging to your self-esteem. Learning more about hair loss can help you to come up with a plan for how you want to deal with it. Let’s dive in.
What Does Hair Loss Mean?
The concept of hair loss is pretty straightforward, although there are a few misconceptions to clear up. Firstly, it can happen in a variety of ways, and it is not limited to head hair either; men can experience thinning in their body hair too. Some people think that hair loss will lead to total baldness, but it can often present in patches or as an overall thinning. Losing head hair, for most men, begins as a thinning by the temples, which spreads to encompass the whole hairline. The hairline then recedes. The back and sides of the head are often the last areas to be affected.
What Causes Hair Loss?
Before you can tackle your hair loss, you need to have a better idea of what is causing it. Knowing why you are losing your hair is the first step to coming up with your plan to prevent further hair loss. Losing hair is normal; most people lose between fifty and a hundred strands of hair every day. However, if you think that you are losing more than that, then this could point towards hair loss.
Hair loss is usually hereditary, especially in men. In fact, a genetic predisposition is the leading cause of hair among men today. Hereditary hair loss or Androgenic Alopecia, as it is medically known, is a gradual process. You should be able to look at your older male family members to see how likely this is to affect you. The experience they have had can predict the likelihood of your hair loss in the future and the pattern it will follow. If you suffer from Androgenic Alopecia, then your hair does not tend to grow back.
There are several other forms of hair loss, but most of them are temporary. Firstly, there is Telogen or Anagen Effluvium which usually occurs as the result of an illness or a traumatic event. The trauma to your body essentially speeds up the shredding process. Anagen Effluvium usually occurs within a couple of days of the triggering incident; the best example of this is chemotherapy and the hair loss associated with that. Telogen Effluvium takes longer, with the hair loss becoming apparent a couple of months after the triggering incident. In both cases, the hair loss is quickly noticeable, although it doesn’t last, with the hair beginning to regrow normally once the illness has passed.
Stress can manifest itself in a number of ways, and one of the ways in which it affects men is through hair loss. Physical stress to the body has already been outlined above; Telogen and Anagen Effluvium are both forms of stress-induced hair loss. Psychological stress can also result in hair loss too. Alopecia Areata is another example of stress-induced hair loss. It is not predictable, presenting as seemingly random bald spots. Most of the time, the hair does grow back, but in the case of chronic or ongoing stress, it may not.
Finally, your diet can also contribute to hair loss. Extreme weight loss is often seen by the body as a sign of trauma or great stress. Crash dieting or unhealthy weight loss methods can put a great strain on the body, and this can cause the hair to thin. An unhealthy diet can also lead to a vitamin deficiency. Your body needs to receive the proper nutrition in order to function. A nutritional deficiency can present itself in a number of ways, from skin problems to hair loss. However, there is good news, changing your diet to ensure that you are meeting your nutritional needs can remedy this
How to Tell if Your Hair Loss is Abnormal
It can be hard to tell whether the hair loss you are experiencing is normal or not. There are a few things to look out for. First, the earlier you catch them, the earlier you can implement preventative measures to slow down the rate of hair loss and come up with a plan for restoration. The easiest way to tell if you are losing too much hair without it growing back. The thinning may be gradual, but it will also be noticeable; as mentioned above, it tends to start around the temples and hairline.
Temporary conditions often present very quickly. The hair loss is sudden and dramatic – you might even find that you are losing handfuls of hair at a time. The odds of this being permanent are infinitesimal, which might not provide much comfort if you are struggling with this form of hair loss. Temporary forms of hair loss are usually the symptom of a bigger issue, and if you cannot easily pinpoint the cause or if it goes on for an extended period of time, then you should consult your doctor.
Random bald patches are less common, but they can also signify a larger problem with hair loss. They tend to be found around the crown of the head, but they can appear anywhere, and they tend to occur sporadically. They may also be found in your body hair or in your facial hair too. In some cases, the skin might even feel painful or itchy in the days leading to hair loss. Finally, some forms of hair loss like Alopecia Universalis can result in total hair loss over your whole body. It tends to present initially as small bald patches forming seemingly randomly over your body and head. Pain and itchiness may also act as a precursor to Alopecia Universalis too.
What Preventative Measures Can I Take?
There are some things that you can do to slow the hair loss down, even if it is hereditary. However, you need to bear in mind that most of these preventative measures won’t halt the process entirely. At most, they can slow it down until you decide whether or not you want to commit to restorative measures or simply embrace it.
First and foremost, as mentioned above, your diet can have a lot to do with the rate at which you are losing your hair. Try to ensure that your diet is healthy and that you are fulfilling all of your nutritional needs. Remember that your hair loss could be exacerbated or even caused by a nutritional deficiency. If this is the case, then a change in diet may even reverse the effects. Some nutrients can be extremely beneficial for your skin and hair; try to maximise your intake of things like iron, protein, zinc, and omega 3.
Stress can also cause or exacerbate hair loss. Stress management techniques or any steps to limit your daily stresses can help. Your hair loss can be halted or slowed down by integrating some of these techniques into your routine. They can also improve your overall wellbeing. Meditation is a great stress management tool. You can also try some self-care practices too. Self-care looks different for different people; some people might benefit from picking up a hobby, taking more exercise or unplugging from social media, so consider these too.
Finally, think about the way that you look after your hair. What you do with your hair can also affect the hair loss process. For example, some styles can be harder on the hair follicles, making the hair more prone to falling out. Styles that pull on your hair like the man bun can put too much strain on your hair and cause things like Traction Alopecia. Some styling products can cause damage too. Things that use heat, like a hairdryer or straighteners, can cause damage and breakages, which can make your hair appear thinner. Consider these factors when styling your hair. If possible, you should leave your hair to dry naturally and limit the products that you put on it to gels, hair putty or things of that nature. This ensures that you are not worsening the problem, and your hair will look and feel healthier too.
What Are the Treatment Options?
There are some instances where your hair loss may have moved past the point where the preventative measures will work. If this is the case, then there are some treatment options for you to consider. Firstly, it is important to point out that you do not necessarily have to treat your hair loss if you don’t want to. Some men decide to embrace it. You could get your hair cut strategically to disguise the hair loss. Or you could decide to bite the bullet and shave your head completely. Lean into the look and follow the example of men like Jason Statham or Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson. They have made bald heads sexy.
These treatments range in their invasiveness. The least invasive treatments are medications and topical creams. Unfortunately, the medications are not available over the counter, which means that you will have to see your doctor for a prescription. Some people have seen success in taking medications, but they do not work for everyone. The creams are often viewed similarly. Most people who go down this route tend to use a combination of Finasteride which is taken orally, and Minoxidil which is applied to the area. However, it is not necessarily a long-term solution if you stop the treatments, then the hair loss will resume.
The next set of treatments are slightly more invasive. Once your doctor has diagnosed the cause of the hair loss, you might be offered several other treatments. Firstly, steroid injections can kickstart hair protection and encourage regrowth. You may also benefit from immunotherapy or light therapy where a chemical or ultraviolet light respectively is applied to the affected areas, again to treat the cause of the hair loss and encourage the hair to start growing again.
The final treatment and the most invasive is a hair transplant. It is arguably the most effective and long-term treatment, but due to its nature, it isn’t a decision to take lightly. During the procedure, your hair is assessed, and healthy hair follicles are harvested from the healthiest part of the scalp that is so far unaffected by hair loss; these follicles are then transplanted back into the scalp, where the hair is thinning. Unfortunately, this treatment is not available on the NHS, which means that you will have to pay to have this procedure done privately. If this is a route you want to explore, it is important that you do your research. Male hair loss restoration procedures are becoming more common, and there are clinics like Enhance that specialise in these procedures. They have clinics located throughout the UK, and they offer free consultations where you will be educated about the options available to you and advised which one would work better for you and your hair loss.
To Conclude
Hair loss is extremely prevalent in men, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. If you notice the signs early enough, then you are able to slow the process down and come up with a plan for how you want to deal with the hair loss long term. When you decide to apply the preventative measures listed above to your life, you are likely to find that your overall health and wellbeing improves too. Not just your hair. That being said, preventative measures will only slow down the process; you do need to think about what you are going to do long-term. Is hair restoration for you, or are you ready to embrace your hair loss by choosing to shave your head?
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