Male Thinning Hair

You find yourself loosing some hair. You don’t know what to do nor you don’t know what is going on. Throughout all this years you have enjoyed head full of healthy hair, but now it seems like your hair is not as thick anymore. You become really concerned and stressed out. At the same time, you see people with thick and healthy hair -  symbol of beauty, energy, youth, and vitality. This is how thinning hair process starts. This type of an event can be very scary for some and outright traumatic for others, but you are not alone. There is more than 60 million Americans that are going through the same thing as you.

In this article you will find out what male thinning hair really means, what causes it, how to prevent it, and what are available treatments for hair loss that can help you.

Male Thinning Hair, Hair Loss, Or Something Else?

The term thinning hair is actually a misnomer, because the hair itself is not thinning nor it is becoming thinner. What is really happening here is the hair follicle (the place under the skin on the scalp where hair grows from) experiences a reduction in size, as well as a time reduction in the active growth space. These follicles become smaller and produce hair that is progressively thinner and less pigmented. Soon these follicles finally “die” and hair production ceases forever in those follicles. This is what is often called a “diffuse alopecia”.

What Causes Thinning Hair?

There is multiple of reasons why you might experience hair loss and these include: genetics, illness (thyroid disease, fungal infections, high fever, malnutrition, and chemotherapy), poor diet (excess of Vitamin A, deficiency of Vitamin B, C, or the minerals such as iron, zinc, and biotin), excessive hair care (men who frequently bleach or dye their hair), stress, too high levels of DHT, and medications. The most common is hereditary male pattern baldness or “androgenic alopecia”, which is the case in nearly 99% of men. In this case scenario inherited DNA from either of the parents will determine your hair loss.

What doesn’t cause hair loss is poor scalp circulation, “clogged” hair follicles, and wearing hats or helmets.

How To Prevent Thinning Hair?

There is a lot of you can do to prevent or at least slow down the process of hair loss. First, try to decrease stress by frequently exercising and working out. By doing so, you will lower production of DHT ( Dihydrotestosterone), which is often one of the main causes of hair loss. Second of all, try to eat as much vegetables and fruits as possible. Focus on leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, soybeans, seafood, and poultry. Lastly, spend as much time outdoor doing things you love and enjoy.

Available Thinning Hair Treatments

Dealing with thinning hair can be a big challenge for many men; especially when the hair loss is  not the result of health or lifestyle related issues. This is when thinning hair can be alleviated by some of the available treatments.

One such method is applying lotion called Rogaine into your scalp twice a day. This lotion contains small amount of minoxidil that slows down the hair loss process in almost two thirds of men and almost one third is able to regain some hair. Side effects are mild and include itching or a rash on the scalp.

Other option to treat thinning hair is Propecia, which is basically a pill that contains finasteride – drug that lowers production of DHT. Studies show that eight out of ten men stop losing their hair within two years and two out of three are able to regain some hair. The side effects are troublesome and include problems with getting erection, less desire for sex, and smaller amount of semen after ejaculating. Other alternatives include hair-transplants, and other products available on the market.