Hair Regrowth for Men: Effective Ways to Regrow Hair
Hair today, gone tomorrow. With many men experiencing hair loss — 30 to 50 percent of men experience male pattern baldness by age 50 — it’s almost an inevitability to see your hairline recede further back.
You may not want to be in this majority, but it’s good to know that you’re not the only one dealing with the beginnings of thinning hair and other signs of balding.
But is it possible to regrow hair? And how can one encourage hair growth and get back a full head of healthy hair?
Whether you’re older and starting to see more of your scalp than you’d like, or younger and starting to see more hair fall down the drain each morning, there’s, fortunately, more than one best way to regrow hair.
But before we dive into how to regrow hair, first we need to understand why we lose our hair.
Is it Possible to Regrow Hair?
First, the big question: can hair grow back? Is it possible to regrow hair when you’re dealing with a whole slew of factors that affect hair loss?
Let’s back up a bit and explain what causes hair to fall out, as well as the different types of hair loss.
The hair growth cycle consists of three phases: anagen (growth), catagen (transitional) and telogen (resting). At any given time, 85 to 90 percent of hair follicles are in the growth, or anagen, phase, which lasts between two to six years.
There are, on average, around 100,000 hairs on your head, and you’re bound to lose at least a few of them a day — in fact, losing as many as 100 hairs a day is typical. But when more hair strands are falling out, it might be time to talk to a medical professional.
Hair loss can occur for a variety of reasons, from genetic conditions to infections and even severe stress. Common causes of hair loss in men include:
Male pattern baldness. The most common cause of permanent hair loss in men, male pattern baldness (or androgenetic alopecia) occurs as a result of genetic factors, as well as the effects of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This type of hair loss can also happen in women and is called female pattern baldness or female pattern hair loss in that case.
Severe or chronic stress. Stress can cause a form of temporary hair shedding referred to as telogen effluvium, in which your hairs abruptly fall out en masse due to a disruption in your hair growth cycle. Note that there are differences between telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia, most notably that telogen effluvium is temporary and androgenetic alopecia is not.
Poor diet. Although dietary issues don’t cause permanent hair loss, certain nutritional deficiencies can contribute to telogen effluvium. For example, a low protein intake or a lack of iron can both cause temporary hair shedding.
Medical conditions. Sometimes, hair loss can develop as a result of health conditions such as thyroid disease, autoimmune diseases, fungal scalp infections and other issues. One type of hair loss, alopecia areata, is an autoimmune disease that attacks your hair follicles, causing damage and eventually stopping growth.
Tight hairstyles. Finally, hair loss can also develop as a result of hairstyles that pull on your hair follicles. Some hairstyles, such as dreadlocks or braids, can even contribute to a form of permanent hair loss called traction alopecia.
Our full guide can tell you more about the different alopecia types and their symptoms. Knowing what’s causing your hair loss or which type of hair loss you might be dealing with can help you find the right hair loss treatment.
But no need to go look up “how to regrow thinning hair male” for treatment options. Keep reading for the six best ways to regrow hair for men.
6 Tips to Regrow Hair for Men
There’s no one best way to regrow hair simply because the best way to treat hair loss can depend on what’s causing it. But these methods below can certainly help improve overall hair health and reduce the possibility of hair loss.
Diet Can Affect Hair Regrowth
You are what you eat, and what you eat may impact your ability to grow strong, healthy hair.
While a healthy diet alone can’t fully reverse hair loss, research suggests that certain vitamins and minerals may play a role in hair growth.
That said, while eating a healthy diet full of vitamins and nutrients is never a bad idea, there’s a general lack of strong research on the effects of food and multivitamins supplements as hair loss treatments. The foods below could help you grow healthy hair, but it really depends on the underlying cause of your hair loss.
If you suspect diet may be the cause of your hair loss, consider reducing your intake of processed foods and increasing your vitamin intake — particularly vitamin A, vitamin C and biotin. You can even make hair growth fun with biotin gummies to support healthy hair or check out other vitamins for hair.
We also mentioned that certain nutrients like protein and iron may be beneficial for hair, as there’s a connection between a lack of these nutrients in your diet and hair loss. Because of this, eating avocados, eggs, fatty fish, leafy greens and other foods for hair may improve hair health.
You may have also heard that products like pumpkin seed oil, rosemary oil and other essential oils can help hair growth, but studies on these foods have shown limited and inconclusive results.
Reduce Stress
Stress affects not only your mental health, but also your physical health — possibly including your hair. Stress hair loss is a thing, since high stress levels can cause or worsen telogen effluvium.
While androgenetic alopecia often results in permanent hair loss around your hairline, temples and the crown of your scalp, telogen effluvium is more subtle, with increased hair shedding and overall thinning hair.
If you’re struggling with the one-two punch of anxiety and hair loss and notice more hair strands than usual on your pillow, try using relaxation techniques, exercise and other lifestyle changes to reduce stress.
Improve Your Hair Care
While taking better care of your hair may not make your hairline grow back, implementing certain hair care tips could result in a fuller head of hair.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) suggests washing oily hair or hair prone to dandruff more frequently and only using shampoo on the scalp. Be sure to use conditioner after every shampoo, concentrating on the ends of the hair.
You can take your hair care a step further and use shampoo and conditioner specifically formulated for your hair type.
You can also use shampoo and conditioner with ingredients that can help your hair volume, like this volumizing shampoo and conditioner that uses argan oil, biotin and caffeine to give your hair a boost or this thickening shampoo with saw palmetto. This guide on what to look for in a men’s hair loss shampoo contains a full list of the ingredients you should check for.
You should also avoid habits that damage hair, such as brushing hair when it's wet, frequent blow-drying or skipping conditioner (don’t skip the conditioner).
Avoid Damaging Hairstyles
If you constantly wear your hair in a tight man bun, we won’t judge you — but you might end up dealing with a type of hair loss known as traction alopecia, which is caused by hairstyles that pull on the hair follicles.
If you normally wear your hair in a tight hairstyle, such as braids or a bun, try switching to a loose style that doesn’t put extra pressure on your hair follicles. In addition, if you style your hair using products that contain chemicals, try to reduce the amount that you use.
Consider Cosmetic Procedures
Sometimes, better hair care and diet can only go so far to regrow hair. In this case, cosmetic procedures may be the way to go.
Scalp reduction surgery is a hair restoration procedure that removes the parts of your scalp affected by hair loss and replaces them with skin that contains active, growing hair follicles. Those with enough hair on the sides and back of the scalp may be good candidates for this type of surgery.
Other surgical options for hair loss include hair transplants, which take hair from the areas of your scalp not affected by male pattern baldness and move it to areas that are thinning or bald.
Another option for hair loss treatment is microneedling, a process that involves making small pinpoints in your scalp to stimulate your hair follicles and promote an increase in hair growth — a method similar to dermarolling, which works by creating tiny holes and may help slow hair loss.
A dermatologist may also recommend laser hair growth treatments. Some studies have found that the use of a laser comb over the course of several weeks resulted in hair growth in some, but not all, patients.
Or if you’re worried about undergoing surgery for hair loss or that hair tattoos won’t look natural, there are non-surgical hair replacement options as well.
While many modern hair loss surgery options are often successful when performed by a skilled doctor, these should be considered only after proven medications and lifestyle changes have been tried and eliminated as possible solutions.
Besides, “laser combs” sound fun in science fiction, but a little scary when your own head is involved.
Use Tools for Hair Regrowth
If you’ve Googled, “how to regrow thinning hair male,” certain sites may have directed you to hair tools like scalp massagers and light therapy tools.
Scalp massagers may encourage hair to regrow if you’re noticing bald spots or thinner hair. One self-assessment of over 320 men with androgenetic alopecia found that scalp massages encouraged hair regrowth in some people.
An at-home laser hair growth cap is another option to treat hair loss. Light therapy for hair loss uses low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to stimulate your hair follicles and promote hair growth, although it doesn’t stop long-term damage to hair follicles.
However, there isn’t enough solid research to give a definitive answer on whether or not these hair growth devices can be relied on.
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Explore Hair Regrowth Treatments
While not listed as one of the tips on how to regrow hair above, these hair regrowth treatments are proven effective to reduce hair loss.
Medications approved by the FDA to reduce hair loss include an oral medication called finasteride and a topical treatment called minoxidil.
Finasteride works by preventing testosterone from being converted into DHT (dihydrotestosterone, the hormone that causes hair loss in androgenetic alopecia).
Taking finasteride on a daily basis has been shown to reduce DHT levels by about 70 percent, which is enough to either stop or slow down the effects of male pattern baldness. We offer finasteride online, following a consultation with a licensed healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate.
While the exact ways that topical minoxidil (also sold under the brand name Rogaine®)works for hair loss aren’t fully understood, this solution is thought to work by extending the growth phase of hair. Minoxidil is applied directly to the areas of your scalp with hair loss, as either a minoxidil foam or a minoxidil solution.
You can also try a combination topical finasteride & minoxidil spray to treat hair loss and regrow new hair.
Shop by treatment options
No matter the treatment plan, the best place to start is somewhere. Early action is the best hair loss prevention.
How to Regrow Thinning Hair: Final Thoughts
Before you go searching Google for how to regrow hair, here’s what to remember about hair loss and encouraging hair regrowth:
Hair loss can be caused by a number of factors, from diet, stress, medical conditions and more. These can lead to different types of hair loss such as androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium and traction alopecia.
Is it possible to regrow hair? Yes, depending on what’s causing your hair loss. Eating a nutritional and balanced diet, reducing stress, improving your hair care, considering cosmetic procedures and more may help hair grow back.
There are also science-backed hair regrowth treatments that can encourage hair growth or slow down hair loss: finasteride and minoxidil.
If you’re experiencing hair loss and want to regain both your hair and your confidence, you can connect with a healthcare provider to learn about more hair loss treatments.
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.