Male Pattern Hair Loss Explained

By Author: Thomas Strickland
Total Articles: 102
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For many of use exterior and looks play a very important role in everyday life. We really depend on the way we look because we are social beings and it really matters to us how other members of the society see us. The looks can communicate a lot of information about us even if we don't want it. This especially applies to such aspect of human exterior as thin hair and baldness. While there's nothing wrong about loosing hair and it isn't necessarily a sign of poor health, many people still perceive balding as an unpleasant detail in a man's exterior. So what's the problem all about and should one get worried if he notices the first signs of a rather common problem - male pattern hair loss.

Male pattern hair loss is characterized by hair thinning and balding that starts in the crown area and the hairline and gradually progresses towards complete baldness or partial baldness when there's still hair on the sides of the scalp while the front and top parts of it are left completely bald. This type of hair loss is much more common in men - thus the name - yet it can sometimes be observed in women as well.

Previously it ...
... was believed that male pattern hair loss primarily stems from the process of aging. This belief was widespread for a very long time because of the simple observation that this type of hair loss usually progresses in men who reach their 40's and 50's. Yet there were also many cases of much younger people dealing with the same problem so the initial theory was seriously questioned when the time came for new developments in medicine. There should be another reason for male pattern hair loss to occur and it was actually discovered as closer studies on the nature of hair loss have been undertaken.

As it turns out the main cause of male pattern hair loss is not aging nor is lack of nutrition or hygiene, although these factors can still influence the development of the problem. It was found that this type of hair loss primarily stems from delicate hormonal balance, to be more precise it is triggered with the accumulation of a specific androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This hormone results from conversion of testosterone and gets accumulated in the body with age. Yet, the rates at which the amount of DHT gets accumulated is different in each person that's why some men never experience problems with hair while others get bald spots in their 20's.

Now it becomes evident that the most effective way to overcome male pattern hair loss is to prevent the build up of DHT in the body. And that's exactly how drugs like Propecia work - they eliminate the cause of the problem from the inside instead of trying to overcome the consequences externally like most hair loss drugs do. Yet, the only problem with Propecia is that it is intended to be used only by men and shouldn't be even handled by women. Still, there's a long way to go and who knows maybe very soon there will also be Propecia for women who struggle with hair loss problems.