Adrogenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, affects about 50 percent of men at some point in their lives, according to Medical News Today. The androgen dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, is responsible for 95 percent of hair loss. DHT shortens the hair growth cycle and causes miniaturization, or closing over, of the hair follicles. Luckily, a variety of treatments are available to treat the different stages of male pattern baldness.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is an over-the-counter foam or lotion that can be used to treat early and mild cases of hair loss. It is mostly effective at stopping further hair loss but, in some cases, hair re-growth may also begin to appear after 12 weeks of use. The hair that re-grows is often finer than the original hair lost, notes MayoClinic.com.
Propecia
MayoClinic.com lists Finasteride, commercial name Propecia, as an effective prescription medicine for early stage hair loss. Propecia is taken in 1 mg pill form once every day and works by blocking testosterone from turning into DHT. Propecia is effective at slowing further hair loss and, in some instances, causing re-growth.
Surgery
For more advanced stages of hair loss, hair transplant or scalp reduction surgery may be appropriate. Hair transplants involve cutting small segments of hair-dense scalp from the sides or back of the head and placing them in bald areas. Scalp reduction is effective by cutting out areas of scalp that have gone bald and then stretching over hair-dense areas to fill in the gaps, notes MayoClinic.com
Side Effects
Unfortunately these treatments do not come without their side effects. Minoxidil, although an over-the-counter treatment, can cause skin irritations and overly dry skin. Propecia can have the rare side effect of reducing sexual libido. Both Minoxidil and Propecia cease to be effective once you stop using them. Hair transplant surgeries are painful and can cause infection and even unsightly scarring. It will also take six to eight months before it is known whether the surgery has been successful, notes MayoClinic.com
Considerations
Although hair loss is not generally a sign of disease or poor health, it can be very distressing for the individual. If you are worried about hair loss, make a consultation with your doctor for a proper diagnosis. As MayoClinic.com states, some forms of hair loss are temporary and can be caused be environmental factors like stress, poor nutrition or hormonal changes.
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