From the age of 35, most men begin to battle hair loss, be it receding hairline, a bald spot, or thinning of one’s hair. This is one health condition that affects a man’s confidence. Part of our identity and personality is our hair. When this feature is lost, our identity or personality is being altered. However, you don’t need to lose yourself, as there is a way to slow down the process of hair loss and even experience hair growth. The market is filled with a lot of over-the-counter (OTC) hair loss treatments. Majority of these treatments do not have any viable or lasting results. Other options like hairpieces, steroid injections, and surgery are expensive and may not provide the desired result.
Hair loss is a condition that is caused by the activity of dihydro-testosterone, also known as DHT, on the hair follicles. DHT causes a decrease in the production of hair on the scalp. The growth phase of one’s hair is reduced to the point that hairs do not exit the scalp anymore. Finasteride is an FDA-approved prescription drug that is effective in the treatment of hair loss. Its main purpose is to inhibit the production of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT. As the production of DHT in the scalp is reduced, the rate of hair loss is gradually slowed down.
Types Of Hair Loss That Can Be Treated
It is normal to have a little bit of hair loss. On average, most individuals lose between 50 and 100 hairs daily. This hair loss activity is negligible as it is unnoticeable. However, noticeable hair loss poses reasonable concerns, as it could be a serious issue. Hair loss comes in various types that have different root causes. There are various ways in which men and women are affected by these medical conditions. The most common hair loss that is experienced by most men is androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness). This is an inherited condition that weakens the hair follicles over time, causing them to shrink in size. The hair becomes shorter and finer. The end result of this condition is the abrupt halt in hair production. This condition can be treated by stopping the production of dihydro-testosterone (DHT). If you are battling with this hair condition, use finasteride to treat hair loss.
Although androgenic alopecia can be treated, other hair loss conditions have no form of treatment and some of them get resolved on their own. For example, telogen effluvium is a temporary hair loss condition that is caused by stress. Once the stress factor is removed, this condition gets eradicated. Men with this type of hair loss have a higher chance of regrowing their hair.
Another hair loss condition is alopecia areata. With this condition, the immune system is triggered by an unknown source and attacks the hair follicles. Most scientists believe that this condition is caused by both internal and external factors. This type of hair loss can be slowed down with the use of oral or topical treatments. However, there is no full cure for this health condition.