Hair loss: Understanding hair loss in men
If you're looking for answers about hair loss, from the basic facts to how it happens, to what you can do about it, you're in the right place. Here you'll learn about the complexities of the hair loss process as well as the science behind it. By learning and understanding the facts, you're taking an important first step to controlling the condition.
The most common cause of hair loss in men and women is androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Heredity, hormones, and age all play a part in this condition. In AGA, the hair follicle shrinks. There is currently no cure for baldness. However, there are some treatments that can help slow down the process. There are two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to have a positive effect on male balding -- finasteride and minoxidil.
The active ingredient in ROGAINE® is minoxidil the only FDA-approved ingredient clinically proven to regrow hair in both men and women. The active ingredient in ROGAINE® (minoxidil) reinvigorates shruken hair follicles to increase their size and and helps to regrow thicker-looking hair over time.
Understanding Male Hairloss
What causes hair loss in men?
Although there are several causes of hair loss, male pattern baldness (also referred to as androgenetic alopecia or hereditary hair loss) accounts for the majority of hair loss in men. It is usually triggered by a combination of hormonal activity and heredity, which together cause the hair follicles in your scalp to shrink. Over time, the progressive shrinking of certain scalp follicles leads to a shortening of the hair's growing cycle. Hair becomes thinner and shorter, until there is no growth at all.
Facts about male pattern baldness
There are several causes of hair loss. However, male pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss and is typically permanent. It accounts for the majority of hair loss in men.
- Male pattern baldness is a condition that can be inherited from either the mother's or father's side.
- Male pattern baldness can start in your teens, 20s or 30s.
- Male pattern baldness affects up to one-third of all men.
- By the age of 50, approximately 50% of men have significantly thinning hair.
- It's not normal to lose 150 or more hairs a day.
Medications for male hair loss
There are two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to have a positive effect on male balding -- finasteride and minoxidil.
Finasteride (known by the brand names Proscar and Propecia) is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, which works by blocking 5-alpha reductase, preventing the enzyme from converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is DHT that causes male pattern baldness. Originally prescribed by doctors for benign prostate hyperplasia (prostate enlargement), finasteride has been shown to stop hair loss and in some cases reverse the balding process.
Finasteride takes about three months to show results, and hair loss typically recurs a year after the drug is stopped. Side effects can include impotence, reduced libido, ejaculation disorders, breast tenderness and enlargement, and hypersensitivity reactions, such as rashes and lip swelling. Women of child bearing potential should not touch finasteride, and condoms should be used during sexual intercourse, as the drug is excreted in semen and there is a risk of birth defects.
Minoxidil (Rogaine) is found to be effective in about 25% of men with baldness on the crown. Applied twice a day in a cream, foam, or liquid, the hair growth only occurs as long as it is used. Minoxidil was originally approved to treat high blood pressure. Side effects are uncommon, but Rogaine® should not be used by people with a history of heart problems, sudden weight gain, chest pains, fainting, or rapid heartbeat.
HairMax LaserComb®
The HairMax LaserComb® laser hair treatment is a breakthrough in hair growth technology. FDA Cleared*, Clinically Proven and Doctor Recommended, the HairMax LaserComb® hair loss treatment makes baldness and thinning hair an option rather than an unavoidable reality.
