Mens Hair Loss - Thinning Hair Treatment - Hair Restoration Cost - Transplants

Men’s hair loss is the ultimate source of denial for men and the thing wives don’t talk about, well not in front of their husbands at least. Hair restoration cost is just the way a vain society has shamed men’s hair loss. Thinning hair treatment is more the result of marketing campaigns, TV and the movies. Back in the day going bald meant wise and sophisticated. There is no need to feel ashamed or lose confidence. Over half of men over 50 suffer from hair loss and 15 to 30% of men from 18 to 29 are losing hair. The comb over is one of the great sources of amusement. Donald Trump and Bill Murrey in Kingpin are great comb overs.

There is a whole history built on hair restoration from medications such as Propecia and Minoxidil 2 Rogaine to hair transplants and wigs. There are also the popular Caesar cuts and shaved heads. What happened to just wearing a hat? The way hair loss is marketed in a superficial world can affect men’s self esteem and confidence. We all like to be told we look young for our age. Don’t despair if you are a men suffering from hair loss there are many solutions to get a youthful hair appearance back.

The majority of male hair loss is from male pattern baldness or Andro-genetic Alopecia.  Male pattern baldness is also referred to as genetic baldness as it is inherited from either your mother or father carrying the dominant gene.  Thinning hair treatment and hair restoration cost become topical as nature kicks in from your genetic disposition. The hormone Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is directly responsible for male pattern hair baldness. DHT comes from testosterone binding with the enzyme alpha five reductase. Yes that is why steroid abusers lose their hair! Treatments such as Rogaine block DHT forming and the effect of thinning hair and baldness. Other causes of men’s hair loss are stress, prescription drugs, Alopecia areata or poor diet.

Men’s hair loss is prevalent in society and depending on your culture and location the percentage of you getting differ.

Prevalence of men’s hair loss

Age                       Men with hair loss

18-29                     15-30%

30-39                     35-40%

40-49                     45%

50-59                     55%

60-69                     65%

Heredity

Most hair loss in men can be blamed on heredity. It is estimated 95% of men’s hair loss is from male pattern baldness. Genetic male pattern baldness is inherited from either your mother or your father. Male pattern baldness onset begins with a receding hairline and thinning crown. This is where hair is the most sensitive to DHT. Gradually the hair continues to fall out leaving just the back and edges though for some men they can lose nearly all of it from DHT.

Stress 

Stress can be a major cause of hair loss; it can often be reversed when the stress factors are alleviated. There is basis to the expression ‘pulling my hair out’.  What is more critical is stress in people who have a genetic pre-disposition to male pattern baldness. Examples of stress are work, financial, relationship, illness or injury related.  Stress or nervous conditions may lead to clumps of hair falling out or you even pulling the hair out.

Prescription drugs can cause thinning hair. Usually your hair will grow back when you hair re-growth will take place after finishing the medical treatment. Here is a list of some of the prescription drugs that can cause hair loss,

• Anabolic Steroids
• Antibiotics and antifungal drugs
• Anti blood clotting drugs
• Anti convulsants taken for epilepsy
• Anti depressants such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft
• Anti hypertensive drugs for blood pressure. ACE inhibitors beta-blockers and diuretics
• Birth control pills (these have been known to be taken by transsexuals to lose hair)
• Breast cancer treatment
• Cholesterol reducing drugs  
• Hormone replacement therapy  
• Immune system suppressants
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)  
• Parkinson disease drugs
• Retinoids containing vitamin A for acne treatment
• Thyroid Gland treatments
• Weight loss drugs

Chemotherapy and Radiation Treatment 

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause severe hair loss and baldness.Burns can permanently and deeply damage the exposed skin. Chemotherapy drugs attack cancer cells and in that process the collateral damage affects the healthy cells in the body. After two weeks of treatment the patient starts losing hair according to the American Cancer Society. Combinations of chemotherapy drugs cause greater hair loss.

 Chemotherapy drugs known to cause hair loss

• adriamycin
• cyclophosphamide
• cactinomycin
• docetaxel
• Doxorubicin
• Etoposide
• Ifosfamide
• Irinotecan
• Paclitaxel
• Topotecan
• Vinorelbine

Disease can cause complete hair loss causing baldness. Illnesses that may lead to thinning hair include Alopecia areata, thyroid gland disease, ringworm and syphilis. Illnesses that cause extremely high fever can also cause hair loss. If you feel you are losing hair from disease or illness confirm with your doctor the cause.

Alopecia areata sees hair fall out in clumps.  You may suffer from alopecia areata anytime in your life. The most common belief is that the body's autoimmune system attacks its own hair follicles. Alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis are the extreme versions of Alopecia areata. 

Alopecia totalis is the total hair loss of the entire scalp’s hair. Alopecia universalis is the total hair loss of all body hair. After a year if there is no hair re-growth then hair will most likely never regrow. The Sydney Eastern Suburbs Rugby League legend from the 1930’s Dave Brown is the most famous example of this condition.

Poor Diet

Drastic changes in diets such as crash diets can cause hair loss. If you have too little protein in your diet you may lose hair. Iron deficiency can cause thinning hair. However note that too much iron or vitamin A can become toxic in your body and lead to hair loss. When a person goes back to a healthy diet with sufficient protein the hair will generally grow back.

In seeking a genuine thinning hair treatment one naturally considers the hair restoration cost. Though there are many snake oil salesmen out there that you must be aware of. The best advice is stick to the tried and proven treatments. The success of your chosen hair replacement procedure or treatment varies on your own expectations and hair loss situation.  But they can be categorized broadly under hair transplants or grafts, Laser hair retention therapy, medicinal or topical treatments and wigs or hairpieces.  It is important to get professional advice from your doctor and be very wary of intense sales practices in the hair restoration field.

There are two common medications to treat mens hair loss from male pattern baldness. Firstly there is Minoxidil (Rogaine) which is available without a prescription. You simply spray it on or rub it into your scalp twice a day. The other most common medicine is Finasteride (Propecia) which is available by prescription only and is taken as a pill daily. Finasteride is not approved for women, only for men by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Finasteride can cause birth defects in women. Thinning hair treatment and your hair restoration cost are discussed in more depth in this series on male hair restoration.