Thinning hair in man
Hair loss is a phenomenon that exists in both man and woman. About 80% of man eventually start going bald, 25% of all woman under the age of 40 start losing hair, and 50% of woman over 50 start losing substantial amount of hair.
It has been a common misconception for years that there is nothing that can be done to prevent this phenomenon since the problem is hereditary. But this is completely wrong, today there are many ways to deal with hair loss, to stop it, and in many cases to make the hair grow back.
What causes male baldness?
There are two main biological factors to mail baldness:
Genetics: A bald spot is a genetic feature, which is hereditary. Any man whose father, grandfather, uncles or brothers are bald is likely to start balding themselves.
Hormonal factors: most cases of male baldness (about 90% of cases) are caused by hormones. The hormone that causes baldness is called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a derivative of the male testosterone. In certain man this hormone causes the shrinking of the hair follicle and after that the weakness of the hair and eventually causing it to fall out. The damage this hormone does to the hair follicles is gradual. Meaning: in the beginning of the process the hair will continue growing instead of the damaged one, but it will be short and weak.
If you manage to “catch” the balding process in this stage, it is often time possible with treatment to renew the growth of healthy hair. Since the hair follicle still exists. However if you miss this stage, the hair follicle shrinks and dies and can no longer grow new hairs.
Accompanying causes to the biological causes:
Genetics and the hormonal factor will be mostly what dictates male baldness. However other factors can speed up, spread, or worsen the balding.
Personal causes: Pressuring situations, stress, and anxiety can all speed up the hair loss and balding process in males. Financial problems, too much stress and work in a job, family problems, trauma and other hard personal situations all effect balding.
Bad diet: A bad diet lacking in one of the basic food groups, or a spicy diet, may speed up and worsen balding.
Diseases: Different types of diseases may cause the hair to fall out faster. Or cause its appearance in an early age.
Usage of medication: certain medications may causes hair loss.
Usage of drugs, or the inhaling of poisons: may cause the quickening or worsening of the hair loss and baldness.
Age: As you get older so do the changes of you going bald increase. The process of aging causes the weakening of the hair follicles and so the thinning and falling out of hair. If the main causes are genetic and hormonal is it possible to prevent hair loss?
Stopping/preventing baldness
The main causes of male baldness are genetic and hormonal. There are a lot of potential solutions to slow down or stop the hair loss.
The experts are divided about this but those who do believe that there are solutions to stop or prevent male balding offer the following options:
Fitting diet - avoid food that contains fat, such as butter, sour cream, snacks, and the like. And eat a lot of food containing zinc and iron such as fruits and vegetables, particularly the green ones, and legumes.
Hormonal medication - these medications are supposed to weaken the actions of the hormone responsible for hair loss and thus stop the loss.
Vitamins – which contain iron, zinc, and other food additives which claim to help stop the hair loss.
Normal hair growth:
To understand what is hair loss there is a need to understand a few points about the normal growth of hair. Every hair follicle has a life cycle of between three to six years. At the end of this cycle the hair falls out and a new one grows in its place. Every hair grows from its hair follicle which is located inside the dermis (internal skin layer). Inside the follicle a protein called Keratin is produced from which the hair is formed, and a pigment called Melanin which gives the hair its color. The quality of the hair is tied in directly to how much Keratin the follicle produces. Enough Keratin will provide a thing and strong hair, and as the amount lessens the hair becomes thinner and weaker. People with blond hair have more hair (140,000) in comparison to someone with brown hair (105,000) or “red” hair (90,000).
Hair growth happens in three stages:
The growth stage (Anagen): in this stage the hair is grown at the base of the follicle. Every day the hair grows about 0.3mm (0.011 inches) in males and 0.4mm (0.015 inches) in females. About 90% of all the follicles on the scalp are found in this stage at any given time. After the follicle finishes the growth stage, which lasts about 3 years, it moves on to the “rest” stage (The actual timing depends on the person and many factors such as age, health statues, race, genetics, and the like).
The resting stage (Catagen): about 10% of the hairs on our head exist in a stage of rest. In this stage the hair does not grow and remains in a static position for three weeks. The hair stops growing, the root shrinks and the hair raises up the follicle which shrinks itself. That way the hair gets father away from the blood vessels which supply it the amino, minerals, and vitamins which are the basic compounds for the creation of Keratin and Melanin. The hair has no option but to slip out of the follicle, this stage lasts between a number of days to two weeks.
The falling out and regrowing stage (Telgen): Our hair doesn’t fall out in one day but after a process that takes three months, and only at the end does it fall out, then in a normal situation, grows in its place a new hair. If the previous hair didn’t release itself from the follicle yet after combing the hair for example, the new hair will slow push it out.
In a normal situation a person loses between 50 to 100 hairs each day, and the hair grows at a rate of 1cm (0.39 inches) a month. As we get older the hair falls normally but grows less.
Hair loss can be counted as a problem only when it starts producing thinning areas on the head. One of the actions that can be taken to check for substantial hair loss is the pull test. You pull a group of hairs with three fingers, if between the fingers there are more than 4-5 hairs then it is a serious problem. Another check can be done by looking at the pillow in the morning when you wake up from sleep – if you find more than 8 hairs on the pillow you are also talking about serious hair loss.
In different parts of the human body, the hair being one of them, exists a balance called 5-alpha reductase (5αR). With the aid of this balance the hormone testosterone breaks down and becomes Dihydrotestosterone or DHT. When the DHT get caught in the receptacles of the hair follicle found in the read and center of the scalp, it causes a gradual destruction of them, possibly out of an auto-immune reaction. Meaning, the immune system of the body accidentally recognizes the follicles with DHT as a foreign body, and attacks them until total destruction. Then entire process is actually effected from a genetic hormonal process. There for, in the years until puberty, where the testosterone is found in the body only in relatively small quantities, the amount of DHT is not sufficient to damage the hair follicles. After puberty, the level of testosterone rises in the body by a significant amount and with it f course the DHT. At this stage the hair follicles being to get damaged. They shrink in a gradual manner, the growth period is shortened and the rest period gets longer, and the hair becomes thinner. This process continues until the follicles stop working completely, and the hair falls.
Typical male baldness
DHT is the primary cause for male baldness. There exists a difference between hair loss for man and woman. For man it is genetic and hormonal. Balding is a dominant trait, though sometimes it skips a generation. Male balding is when the hair starts thinning around the crown (the same spot where hair grows out in a spiral) and at the temples to create a recessed hair line. In later stages, both the areas meat up in the center of the scalp and at the end you are left with a u shaped strip of hair which covers the back and sides of the head. The hair in the balding spots will be replaced with soft downy hair, which after a time will disappear as well and leave a bald area that will only grow. According to the estimations, over 70% of males suffer from male baldness before the age of 50.
The reason the hair in the back and side does not fall is because the hair follicles there is not sensitive to the DHT hormone. The skin covers the DHT sensitive areas and comes from the front of the scalp, while the resistant layer of skin comes from the back. The fact that those areas are resistant to DHT are the reasons why we can have hair implants today.
It has been a common misconception for years that there is nothing that can be done to prevent this phenomenon since the problem is hereditary. But this is completely wrong, today there are many ways to deal with hair loss, to stop it, and in many cases to make the hair grow back.
What causes male baldness?
There are two main biological factors to mail baldness:
Genetics: A bald spot is a genetic feature, which is hereditary. Any man whose father, grandfather, uncles or brothers are bald is likely to start balding themselves.
Hormonal factors: most cases of male baldness (about 90% of cases) are caused by hormones. The hormone that causes baldness is called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a derivative of the male testosterone. In certain man this hormone causes the shrinking of the hair follicle and after that the weakness of the hair and eventually causing it to fall out. The damage this hormone does to the hair follicles is gradual. Meaning: in the beginning of the process the hair will continue growing instead of the damaged one, but it will be short and weak.
If you manage to “catch” the balding process in this stage, it is often time possible with treatment to renew the growth of healthy hair. Since the hair follicle still exists. However if you miss this stage, the hair follicle shrinks and dies and can no longer grow new hairs.
Accompanying causes to the biological causes:
Genetics and the hormonal factor will be mostly what dictates male baldness. However other factors can speed up, spread, or worsen the balding.
Personal causes: Pressuring situations, stress, and anxiety can all speed up the hair loss and balding process in males. Financial problems, too much stress and work in a job, family problems, trauma and other hard personal situations all effect balding.
Bad diet: A bad diet lacking in one of the basic food groups, or a spicy diet, may speed up and worsen balding.
Diseases: Different types of diseases may cause the hair to fall out faster. Or cause its appearance in an early age.
Usage of medication: certain medications may causes hair loss.
Usage of drugs, or the inhaling of poisons: may cause the quickening or worsening of the hair loss and baldness.
Age: As you get older so do the changes of you going bald increase. The process of aging causes the weakening of the hair follicles and so the thinning and falling out of hair. If the main causes are genetic and hormonal is it possible to prevent hair loss?
Stopping/preventing baldness
The main causes of male baldness are genetic and hormonal. There are a lot of potential solutions to slow down or stop the hair loss.
The experts are divided about this but those who do believe that there are solutions to stop or prevent male balding offer the following options:
Fitting diet - avoid food that contains fat, such as butter, sour cream, snacks, and the like. And eat a lot of food containing zinc and iron such as fruits and vegetables, particularly the green ones, and legumes.
Hormonal medication - these medications are supposed to weaken the actions of the hormone responsible for hair loss and thus stop the loss.
Vitamins – which contain iron, zinc, and other food additives which claim to help stop the hair loss.
Normal hair growth:
To understand what is hair loss there is a need to understand a few points about the normal growth of hair. Every hair follicle has a life cycle of between three to six years. At the end of this cycle the hair falls out and a new one grows in its place. Every hair grows from its hair follicle which is located inside the dermis (internal skin layer). Inside the follicle a protein called Keratin is produced from which the hair is formed, and a pigment called Melanin which gives the hair its color. The quality of the hair is tied in directly to how much Keratin the follicle produces. Enough Keratin will provide a thing and strong hair, and as the amount lessens the hair becomes thinner and weaker. People with blond hair have more hair (140,000) in comparison to someone with brown hair (105,000) or “red” hair (90,000).
Hair growth happens in three stages:
The growth stage (Anagen): in this stage the hair is grown at the base of the follicle. Every day the hair grows about 0.3mm (0.011 inches) in males and 0.4mm (0.015 inches) in females. About 90% of all the follicles on the scalp are found in this stage at any given time. After the follicle finishes the growth stage, which lasts about 3 years, it moves on to the “rest” stage (The actual timing depends on the person and many factors such as age, health statues, race, genetics, and the like).
The resting stage (Catagen): about 10% of the hairs on our head exist in a stage of rest. In this stage the hair does not grow and remains in a static position for three weeks. The hair stops growing, the root shrinks and the hair raises up the follicle which shrinks itself. That way the hair gets father away from the blood vessels which supply it the amino, minerals, and vitamins which are the basic compounds for the creation of Keratin and Melanin. The hair has no option but to slip out of the follicle, this stage lasts between a number of days to two weeks.
The falling out and regrowing stage (Telgen): Our hair doesn’t fall out in one day but after a process that takes three months, and only at the end does it fall out, then in a normal situation, grows in its place a new hair. If the previous hair didn’t release itself from the follicle yet after combing the hair for example, the new hair will slow push it out.
In a normal situation a person loses between 50 to 100 hairs each day, and the hair grows at a rate of 1cm (0.39 inches) a month. As we get older the hair falls normally but grows less.
Hair loss can be counted as a problem only when it starts producing thinning areas on the head. One of the actions that can be taken to check for substantial hair loss is the pull test. You pull a group of hairs with three fingers, if between the fingers there are more than 4-5 hairs then it is a serious problem. Another check can be done by looking at the pillow in the morning when you wake up from sleep – if you find more than 8 hairs on the pillow you are also talking about serious hair loss.
In different parts of the human body, the hair being one of them, exists a balance called 5-alpha reductase (5αR). With the aid of this balance the hormone testosterone breaks down and becomes Dihydrotestosterone or DHT. When the DHT get caught in the receptacles of the hair follicle found in the read and center of the scalp, it causes a gradual destruction of them, possibly out of an auto-immune reaction. Meaning, the immune system of the body accidentally recognizes the follicles with DHT as a foreign body, and attacks them until total destruction. Then entire process is actually effected from a genetic hormonal process. There for, in the years until puberty, where the testosterone is found in the body only in relatively small quantities, the amount of DHT is not sufficient to damage the hair follicles. After puberty, the level of testosterone rises in the body by a significant amount and with it f course the DHT. At this stage the hair follicles being to get damaged. They shrink in a gradual manner, the growth period is shortened and the rest period gets longer, and the hair becomes thinner. This process continues until the follicles stop working completely, and the hair falls.
Typical male baldness
DHT is the primary cause for male baldness. There exists a difference between hair loss for man and woman. For man it is genetic and hormonal. Balding is a dominant trait, though sometimes it skips a generation. Male balding is when the hair starts thinning around the crown (the same spot where hair grows out in a spiral) and at the temples to create a recessed hair line. In later stages, both the areas meat up in the center of the scalp and at the end you are left with a u shaped strip of hair which covers the back and sides of the head. The hair in the balding spots will be replaced with soft downy hair, which after a time will disappear as well and leave a bald area that will only grow. According to the estimations, over 70% of males suffer from male baldness before the age of 50.
The reason the hair in the back and side does not fall is because the hair follicles there is not sensitive to the DHT hormone. The skin covers the DHT sensitive areas and comes from the front of the scalp, while the resistant layer of skin comes from the back. The fact that those areas are resistant to DHT are the reasons why we can have hair implants today.