Are You Prone to Hair Loss? Here's How to Tell
Are the effects of male pattern baldness getting you down? For what it’s worth, hair loss is something that happens to the best of us. And while it’s perfectly normal to feel stressed about the thought of losing your hair, you should know that you’re not alone in this fight against hair loss.
Today we’re going to confront the issue of male pattern baldness together. More specifically, we’re going to cover all of the things that can contribute to balding, and unfortunately, many of these factors are out of your control.
So, what makes you prone to hair loss? Being a man, for starters. That’s not to say that every man will go bald or develop the infamous hairstyle, but roughly 70% of men will experience hair loss on some scale in their lives, even if it’s just minor thinning.
Not because of their age or because of the haircare products they use, but because of a hormone as dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which has been linked to male pattern baldness.
Yes, you’ve read that right. A derivative of testosterone, that wonderful chemical that gives us a strong libido and helps us build muscle mass (among other things!) also plays a role in hair loss.
Are You Susceptible to Hair Loss?
Truth be told, it’s hard to say. There’s a lot of factors that play a role in whether we develop male pattern baldness or not, and just because you have testosterone doesn’t mean that you’re necessarily going to lose your hair.
With that said, there are some signs that indicate that you’re susceptible to balding.
Let’s take a look at a few of them.
1. You’re constantly stressed out
While stress doesn’t directly tie into male pattern baldness, it most certainly does play a role in hair loss.
If you’re already losing your hair and you go through a stressful period in your life, you could actually cause your hair to shed at a much quicker rate than it normally would.
If that’s not reason enough to try and relax, stress can also cause its own type of hair shedding. Yes, all of those nights that you stay awake worrying about things you can’t control might be one of the things causing you to lose your hair.
The good news about stress-related hair loss, however, is that it usually grows back a couple of months after you’ve calmed down.
2. You’re not eating properly
Take some vitamins, increase your fruits and vegetables, and double up on those leafy greens. If you’re not getting enough nutrition then your hair is one of the first places to be affected. And it kind of makes when you think about it.
Why would your body be using all of its energy to protect your hair when it’s not getting enough nutrients to ensure its systems are running properly?
You may also want to look into taking a vitamin supplement called Biotin or vitamin B complex. It’s been shown to create stronger and healthier hair, skin, and fingernails.
3. Your other family members are bald
There are a lot of regarding male pattern baldness and family. Some people say that it comes from your father, others say that it depends on the men on your mother’s side of the family. Take the specifics with a grain of salt, but understand that hair loss can be hereditary.
While we may not know exactly who you get it from, there is a genetic component to male pattern baldness – someone is passing it down! If most of the men in your family have lost their hair, there’s a good chance that you could experience hair loss as well. Still, even then it’s not 100%.
4. You have a that stress on the scalp
The condition known as traction alopecia is more common than you might think, and worst of all is that it’s completely preventable. To understand how this type of balding happens, you need to first understand that your scalp is sensitive and is prone to damage over time.
Things like excessive scratching, rubbing, and brushing can all damage your hair follicles and inhibit hair growth.
Additionally, a number of popular hairstyles that involve pulling can also damage hair follicles over time, causing irreversible hair loss.
Braids, man buns, and dreadlocks are all linked to traction alopecia because of the stress they put hair follicles through.
Growing Older and Keeping Your Hair
As you can see, there are a lot of things that can cause hair loss. The best way to decrease your chances of balding is to eat and take care of your hair.
That means going easy on the shampoos, conditioners, and hair care products that are loaded with harsh chemicals. Instead, opt for products that are designed to promote hair growth and are gentler on the hair.
If you’re experiencing male pattern baldness, you’ll want to take additional steps designed to disrupt the production of DHT in your hair follicles and promote hair regrowth.
Fortunately, there are a number of different products out there that, when used together, make a great treatment regimen for male pattern baldness.
Treatments such as minoxidil and finasteride, when combined with biotin and DHT-blocking hair care products, have shown to be quite successful in helping men overcome their problems with balding.
Both are approved by the FDA for treating male pattern baldness, and research has shown that when used together over a 20-week period, finasteride and minoxidil produced significant elevation and density of hair.
Now that you know a little bit about what causes hair loss, you’re more likely to catch it before it gets out of control.
Remember, the earlier that you catch male pattern baldness, the better your chances are of reversing its effects and holding onto a youthful, luxurious head of hair.
Just make sure that you’re willing to devote the time and patience to treatment regimens – results don’t happen overnight, after all. You should expect the fight against hair loss to be a long-term one.
But as long as you’re dedicated and stick to your program, you’ll probably be satisfied with the results.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment or medication.