Common Causes for Hair Loss in Men
A full head of hair comes at a premium for many Americans. Nowadays, men suffering from hair loss are left scrambling to the nearest Hair Club for Men office, filling out applications for the Diamond and Presidential programs that guarantee 3+ hair restoration appointments every month. In addition, they may be looking into surgical procedures like hair transplants running into the thousands of dollars. What exactly causes the baldness male pattern and leaves people opening checkbooks for these types of programs?
The Number One Culprit… (It's Not Caused by Wearing a Baseball Cap)!
For starters, the No. 1 reason for men's hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, a condition that attacks the hair follicles in the scalp. In the early years, high levels of DHT are synonymous with sexual vitality. Later on in life, it turns into an enemy joining forces with the 5-Alpha-reductase enzyme to form an offshoot hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which shrinks hair follicles and ravages their life span. With oil producing at the same rate as before, hair turns flatter and oilier. In addition, blood flow to the scalp is restricted by thickening scalp membranes. Eventually, the baldness male pattern begins to form and hair follicles stop producing hair.
You Are What You Eat
Another cause for male hair loss is a deficient diet. Since hair follicles are very sensitive to changes in the immune system, it responds to various imbalances in your system. One of these imbalances involves a low protein diet and malnutrition, which shifts growing hair into the resting phase causing hair shedding within a few months. A lack of Vitamin A and E is especially troubling. Vitamin A helps to keep hair moist by helping to secrete sebum in the scalp which prevents dryness. Vitamin E helps to boost blood circulation in the scalp and infuse oxygen into the follicle cells, which speeds up the process of regeneration. A third cause is a combination of medications and stress. Many prescription drugs (i.e. high blood pressure, arthritis) are known to promote men's hair loss, along with excessive consumption of Vitamin A.
Be Nice to Your Hair
One overlooked reason for the baldness male pattern and male hair loss is the mechanical damage that takes place. Mechanical damage to the hair means stressing it to the point of pulling out by braiding, using bleaching products, and using hot blow dryers excessively. Hair styling treatments like dyes, relaxers, and straighteners may also damage the hair. It turns hair brittle if enough of these chemicals are used, especially when one chemical is applied to hair that underwent the same procedure before. Hair braids and weaves are a third culprit, adding to strain of the hair follicle. That is why it is recommend braids not be worn for more than a month.
Treatment Options
Currently, there are many types of treatments available depending on the kind of male hair loss. Rogaine, a widely acclaimed product, contains minoxidil as its active ingredient and is used on the scalp to promote hair growth and restoration. In addition, Propecia (in fill form) has also been proven to work with 4 out of 5 men seeing results. All in all, the baldness male pattern and men's hair loss can be attributed to a variety of factors both intentional and non-intentional.
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