Helpful Suggestions For Dealing With Male Pattern Baldness

Dealing with male pattern baldness is a bridge that virtually all men will have to cross (and some women) at some point in their lives. One out of four men start losing their hair due to male pattern baldness before the age of 30 another 65 percent by the age of 60. So if you fall into that select five percent that are not impacted you should feel fortunate. 

Dealing with male pattern baldness effectively includes gaining a better understanding of this condition. Probably the most overlooked fact concerning male pattern baldness is that it generally takes from 5 to 10 years to produce the amount of hair loss necessary to produce noticeable balding. 

This phenomenon has to do with both genetic predisposition to hair loss, the androgen hormones testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and the damage ultimately done to the all important hair follicles. It goes something like this, for those susceptible (most men and some women) testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone in the hair cell which then binds with receptors deep within the hair follicle. Over several hair cycles (a hair cycle lasts from 4 to 6 years) an excess accumulation of DHT in the follicle causes it to start to shrink thus reducing nutrient rich blood flow. Some follicles will eventually die while others will be stripped of their ability to produce new healthy hair growth. 

Now that we know what causes male pattern baldness we are armed with the information needed to make the best decisions for dealing with male pattern baldness. 

To reverse or halt this condition we must be able to do two things; block or restrict DHT and keep existing follicles from shrinking. The product that currently does the best job of this is minoxidil. While it is not know exactly how it works or whether it interferes with DHT what we do know is that minoxidil enlarges follicles, prolongs the growth phase, and stimulates dormant hairs to grow. It is especially effective in protecting existing hair but only moderately effective when new growth is the goal. So likely if you are looking for the best way of dealing with male pattern baldness minoxidil should be on your short list of solutions. 

What Next? There are currently a handful of hair re-growth products (specially formulated for dealing with male pattern baldness) which have been proven effective both in blocking harmful hormones and bringing the all important dead hair follicles back to life. These specially formulated products can be used both as a preventative tool, starting before hair loss becomes severe, or after loss of hair has become noticeable. Whatever the level of balding or thinning you are experiencing these products could be just what is needed to overcome this latest life challenge.