Coping With Male Pattern Baldness
Androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) is by far the most common cause of hair loss amongst men and a serious problem for many women. For it to develop, three important components must come into play:
1. A genetic predisposition for balding to occur.
2. The presence of male hormones.
3. Aging - enough time for the first two factors to occur.
Despite the common perception, familial baldness patterns are not completely reliable as predictors of future hair loss. The fact that your parent or grandparent exhibited a given pattern does not guarantee your hair loss development will be the same. However, if your father was completely bald and you begin to lose hair excessively at an early age, it's safe to assume you will develop extensive balding.
All normal men and women produce male hormones such as testosterone and DHT. These hormones have a useful role to play in both sexes but it is the fact that androgens occur in much higher concentrations in men that explains why this type of hair loss is more common in males.
The effect of these hormones on hair follicles is as follows:
1. High levels of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase occur in cells of the hair follicle.
2. This enzyme converts testosterone into DHT.
3. DHT causes the robust terminal hairs to miniaturize.
4. This leaves soft, fine hairs that provide poor scalp coverage.
5. The growth phase becomes shorter until these soft hairs are lost for good.
Excessive hair loss can occur at any age and may even stop only to start again. As time progresses the process of hair loss accelerates leading to its logical conclusion.
Understanding this process helps to explain how the currently available treatments for male pattern baldness work. Propecia is one of only two FDA-approved hair loss treatments and it works by interfering with the process outlined above. In brief, Propecia inhibits the formation of DHT in the system thus slowing down and eventually stopping the adverse effects of DHT on the hair follicle.
Most of the non-drug, commercially prepared products operate on a similar basis by utilizing natural ingredients that attempt to interfere with the production of DHT. Presently the most popular natural ingredient is saw palmetto although some products combine this with other herbs such as pygeum, stinging nettle and green tea.
To find out more about these and other treatments for male pattern baldness, go to the site listed below. Richard Mitchell is the creator of the myhairlossadvisor.com, website that provides information and guidance to those suffering from premature hair loss. Please go to Androgenetic Alopecia to learn more about the issues covered in this article.
MORE RESOURCES:
Yoga controversy gaining attentionWatertownDailyTimes.com, United States - 7 hours agoBy LORI SHULL MASSENA — Debate over the high school's suspended classroom yoga program is putting the town on the map. The story has gained attention across ... |
What yoga can do for youInquirer.net, Philippines - 23 hours agoAnd where there are millions of people whose lives have been transformed, or at the very least, improved by the practice of yoga, then you know that ... |
Yoga Clinic for RunnersKBCI CBS 2, ID - 46 minutes agoBy Tara Mussulman Topic: Come find out how cross training with yoga can enhance your running and keep you running for life. Bio: Shannon Wells-Femenia, CMT, ... |
• Yoga can build a better runnerThe Post-Standard - Syracuse.com, NY - 5 hours agoIf you have still not signed on to the benefits of yoga as a runner, here are some reminders as to why you should jump on the wagon. ... |
Marcia Cross favours yogaTotally Fitness Health and Fitness news, UK - 4 hours agoDesperate Housewives star Marica Cross revealed that she is regularly practices yoga to keep her trim figure. The actress who plays Bree in the show said ... |
Yoga in class ties some in knotsChicago Tribune, United States - Oct 6, 2008Parents and religious leaders in upstate New York are up in arms over a public school district offering yoga instruction to students, claiming it violates ... |
Yoga for Golfers classes offeredChattanooga Times Free Press, TN - 12 hours agoSome golfers today are turning to yoga for both an edge in their game and for some relief from soreness the next day. ClearSpring Yoga on North Market ... |
Yoga - Google News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Hair Loss: An Overview
Hair, though often overlooked, plays an important role in our lives. Upon meeting someone, one of the first things you notice is their hair.
Top Nutritional Tips To Support Healthy Hair Growth
1. Eat adequate amounts of protein.
Hair Removal Products and Services - What You Should Know
There are places you should go and places you shouldn't when trying to find a company that specializes in hair removal or when looking for hair removal products online. There are dozens of hair removal products that have unproven claims, or consumer complaints regarding the actual results of the hair removal product.
Laser Hair Removal Tips
So you have decided to immerse yourself in the fantasy of luxurious beauty that is going to define you as you go through the laser hair removal treatment. But the journey of the experience starts much before the actual permanent hair removal solution starts.
Problem: Thinning Hair? Solution: Saw Palmetto!
We know that many factors contribute to thinning hair. The culprits range from a poor diet to dihydrotestosterone and from heredity to perimenopause.
Hair Loss: Getting to the Root of the Problem
It's fair to say when you started losing your hair you asked "why me". Maybe after seeing your dad and older brother join the hair less community you figured it was only a matter of time.
Natural Hair Loss Treatment
A few years ago there were no "official" natural hair loss treatments. Nowadays, medical enterprises understand that there are a lot of people that prefer natural hair loss treatments.
Follicular Unit Extraction vs. Older Methods of Hair Transplantation
Punch grafts, scalp reductions, scalp extensions..
Hair, Hair Loss and Propecia
Take a look on the following facts about hair and hair loss :?It is normal to lose 50-100 hairs from the head each day?Each hair on the head grows for about 3-5 years before being shed?40 million men and 20 million women suffer from hair loss?Scalp hair grows at a rate of about 1 cm (just under 1/2 an inch) a month?We each have about 100,000 hairs on the scalp?In the United States, there has not been an elected bald President since the television age began?An average person has between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs?A man looses 50 to 100 hairs a day in averageThere are many treatments for hair loss in the market. Maybe too many.
You Need To Know The Possible Hair Loss Causes
Hair loss causes range from simple to complex. Some of the simple causes of hair loss include recovery from major surgery.
Are Hair Loss Treatments Just One Big Scam?
The hair loss industry is not one that inspires great confidence in most people. I have to admit this is perfectly understandable given the damage caused by the many rogues and charlatans who have abused the trust of far too many vulnerable people - people who have received worthless and even dangerous products or advice in exchange for their hard earned cash.
Are Your Searching In Vain For The Causes of Hair Loss?
Trying to find out what causes hair to fall out is often very hard to do. This is because there are so many different causes of hair loss, there is no one common denominator that one can look to.
Herbal Hair Loss Remedies For External Use
In a separate article in this series we looked at some of the most popular herbal hair loss remedies for ingestion. Here we'll expand that theme to include some potentially useful herbal remedies for external use.
Common Hair Mistakes
1. NOT TRIMMING YOUR HAIR EVERY 6 WEEKS.
Natural Hair Loss Product
Hair is a crucial part of our identity. Although we no longer use it for protection, heat retention or camouflage, we would do almost everything to keep it.
Hair Transplant Surgery - Do You Need It, Do You Want It?
Hair transplant surgery is very common these days. As hair loss is such a big problem for so many people, and as hair transplant surgery becomes more and more effective, it is more in demand.
Waxing Instructions -- Waxing with Soft Wax
Waxing is the one of the best, oldest and most popular hair removal methods. Its popularity is based on several factors including it's effectiveness and relatively low cost.
DHT and Hair Loss
DHT hair loss affects both men and women.DHT stands for Dihydrotestosterone which is the resulting product
of direct contact between the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, found in
the skin and the scalp, with the hormone testosterone.
Making Your Own Herbal Hair Shampoo
In 1990 I decided not to use the commercially made shampoos after reading Aubrey Hampton's book, "Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care." In this book Aubrey tells you how to read the label on any product that you put on your skin or hair.
Hair Loss Types and Treatments
Doctors distinguish between different types of hair loss. The male pattern hair loss is totally different from Alopecia Areata.
|
