Learn more about hair loss and its treatment

Male pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss that is faced by men. It has been termed so as it usually follows a typical pattern, which starts with the thinning of hair on the crown followed by receding hairline at the temples. This ultimately continues until they meet in the middle of the scalp, forming a horse shoe shape. It is said that male pattern baldness is usually caused by hormones and genetic predisposition. To understand the basics of loss of hair, it is equally important that we first understand the process of hair growth. A single hair grows about an inch every couple of months and keeps growing fro about two to six years.

The remains of the same length for a short period of time and then eventually falls out. Soon after, a new hair starts growing in its place. Each hair grows out of a cavity in the skin of your scalp, which is known as a follicle. You start experiencing hair loss when the follicles start shrinking over time. As time passes, the follicle becomes so small that it can not bear to grow a new hair, because of which you start having a receding hairline. Even the hair that you have, can start becoming finer and shorter. The causes for this phenomenon are quite unknown but they are often related to the genes and male sex hormones.

What are the causes of male pattern baldness?

As discussed earlier, no known causes are responsible for causing hair loss in men. But there are some factors that are attributed to causing male pattern baldness in men. Ageing is one such factor which is known to cause baldness in men. Hormonal imbalance is another, which is again linked to ageing itself, as with ageing, possibilities of hormonal imbalances increase. Nervous disorders can also lead to loss of hair in men. Certain toxic substances can also be responsible for causing male pattern baldness in you. Even injuries and impairment can cause hair loss in you. At times you can also suffer from male pattern baldness because of illnesses and infectious diseases.

How can male pattern baldness be treated?

Men who are in their late 40's or 50's usually do not mind or are not affected by their bald appearance. But men who are young, such as those who are in their teen ages, 20's or 30's, are often affected by their bald appearance and so they look for treatment. Some men try methods such as hair weaving, hairpieces or change of hairstyle, which help in disguising your hair loss. This approach is bit less expensive and a safe one for hiding your loss of hair. Other options that are available are surgeries and over the counter medications such as Regaine. The only prescription medication available is Propecia, which contains finasteride as its active ingredient. After results with Propecia, men have been able to stop loss of hair as well as have growth of new hair in the bald area.

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About the author

Ian Caspar is a Webmaster & Health Adviser at euroClinix.net, a leading online clinic in the Europe. He has published articles on impotence, obesity, smoking cessation, baldness, influenza & their prescription medications.

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