Hair Loss Options for Men

Your hair is under attack, and your hairline is making a retreat - and fast. What is happening? For most men, the answer to the sudden fall out is Male Pattern Baldness. And many wonder what hair loss treatment to choose.

First of all, realize that you are not by any means alone. The numbers of men experiencing hair loss is staggering with 67 percent of men in the U. S. alone suffering from noticeably thinning hair by the time they are 35 years old. At age 50, make that 85 percent who have significant hair loss.

Male Pattern Baldness is genetic. If you have it, you have inherited hair follicles with a sensitivity to a hormone known as DHT, which stands for dihydrotestosterone. This hormone is the restult of testosterone reacting to a certain enzyme, called 5-alpha-reductase. Over time DHT damages your genetically sensitive follicles so that they shrink and even die. The pattern in Male Pattern Baldness typically starts with a receding hairline and a loss of hair from the crown area, which, if not stopped in its tracks, will eventually lead to complete baldness on top and the remaining hair forming a horseshoe shape around the back and sides of the head.

The best defense is to strike back quickly - as soon as you notice a change in your hair or hairline. Nowadays, many doctors' weapon of choice is the drug Propecia. Common name finisteride, Propecia is an FDA approved drug for the treatment of hair loss. It works by reducing the levels of DHT by thwarting the enemy, the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. This is why early intervention is so important. The longer your sensitive hair follicles are exposed to DHT, the more likely they are to suffer permanent and irreparable damage. But fighting back early enough can turn the tide, ending the onslaught and even restoring some of those weakened follicles and getting them back in action producing hair again.

Doctors may also suggest the use of minoxidil, an FDA approved hair loss treatment applied directly to the scalp, alongside the Propecia therapy. Continued use of minoxidil, commonly sold as Rogaine, is necessary to maintain its results.

If Male Pattern Baldness has already obliterated your follicles so much that they can not recover, you may have another option - hair implantation. These days a skillful specialist can artfully transplant your healthy hair, one follicle at a time even, to recreat a beautiful and natural looking head of hair. Not everyone is a good candidate. To be sure, see your doctor.