Causes Of Hair Loss And Treatments

Male pattern baldness affects millions of individuals every year. The experience can be traumatic for some in the beginning stages and it is not uncommon to see young men in their early twenties and even teen years go through the experience of losing their hair.

Male pattern baldness is not caused by eating unhealthy and wearing hats as some may say. One of the biggest myths about male pattern hair loss is that it is caused by unhealthy eating habits. The truth is that there are many people with unhealthy eating habits with a head full of hair.

Male pattern baldness is hereditary. Even if your immediate parents have not experienced hair loss it can be inherited from grandparents since it can easily skip generations. Men who carry this gene begin to lose their hair at some point in their life due to having hair follicles that are sensitive to an androgen produced in the body called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). When an enzyme in our bodies called 5 alpha reductase mixes with testosterone it produces the androgen dihydrotestosterone.

DHT attaches to our hair follicles and this attachment does not allow blood to flow freely to the scalp. The result is thinner hair which eventually falls off. One of the most popular treatments is a prescription drug called Propecia.

Propecia is a drug that is taken once a day. It is cleared by the FDA for the promotion of hair growth in men who have male pattern hair loss. Propecia works by inhibiting the 5 alpha reductase enzyme which results in the body producing less testosterone. This treatment either stops the hair loss in some men or slows it down and in some cases does nothing.

After a couple of months some men are able to thicken their hair that was thin with the prescription drug Propecia. It is important to understand that Propecia can cause serious side effects in some men. Some of the side effects are loss of libido, gynecomastia (breast tenderness or enlargement), and many have reported other serious side effects. Always speak to your doctor if you decide this is something you may want to use and always monitor yourself.

Minoxidil is another drug cleared by the FDA for the promotion of hair growth in men who have male pattern baldness. It is available over the counter and it is applied directly to the scalp. Minoxidil works by reducing DHT levels on the scalp.

The third product cleared by the FDA for the promotion of hair growth in men who have male pattern hair loss is the Hairmax laser comb. This product is not a drug therefore a prescription is not necessary. The Hairmax laser comb is a device that provides the scalp with low level laser therapy (lllt).

Low level laser therapy is used as a remedy for inflammations, acne, wounds and more. lllt stimulates our hair follicles or cells to be able to fulfill their functions. Our hair follicles happen to be cells and when they receive lllt they are also energized to full fill their functions.

The laser comb helps promote blood flow to the scalp and since the cells are energized with the laser they are able to filter the waste from blood which includes DHT. For men who want to treat their hair without the side effects caused by drugs the Hairmax laser comb seems to be an optimal treatment.

The Hairmax Laser Comb, Minoxidil, and Propecia are the three products cleared by the FDA for the promotion of hair growth and some people use them in conjunction to enhance their results.

There are natural treatments that some have found to be effective that are not cleared by the FDA. Always do your research before starting any treatment because there are scams that like to prey on desperation and just because a product claims to be natural it does not mean that the treatment is free from side effects.