Saturday, October 25, 2008

Male Pattern Baldness: You Can Fight Back

By David U. Goodman

Are you one of the millions of men who is beginning to experience hair loss? Or are you already way down that road, coping every day with the frustration of a growing bald spot, a receding hair line or thinning hair? Did you know that two-thirds of American men experience a marked loss of hair before the age of 35, and that by the age of fifty 85% of men have some significant thinning of hair?

If you are one of the many men currently experiencing hair loss - you're not alone. One look at the statistics above will tell you that! And while hair loss in men may be acceptable in our society it can be the source of much quiet desperation and frustration for those of us as individuals who aren't prepared for it. Most of us would do almost anything to stop or reverse our hair loss! There are a number of treatments available, but the process of finding one that works for you can be both time consuming and expensive.

The treatments that are available to men vary depending upon the root cause of the individual's premature balding. In some cases hair loss cannot be arrested or reversed, but in many cases it can. Before you try to find a treatment to stop or reverse your loss of hair you should understand the different conditions that can case it. Here are the main ones:

* Male Pattern Baldness. This is by far the most common cause of male hair loss. It is considered to be hereditary, and it is usually treatable. MPB is considered to be responsible for about eighty percent of the cases of premature baldness in men. There are a number of products available to arrest or reverse MPB - the hard part is finding one that works for you.

* Hormonal imbalance. In men, a hormonal imbalance can be caused by an underactive or overactive thyroid gland. This can cause hair loss and can be an indication that a serious health issue exists and needs to be addressed. If you suspect a hormonal imbalance may be the cause of hair loss, see your doctor.

* Infection. Fungal infections of the hair and skin can result in hair loss. Once these infections are treated your hair will grow back. Treatment usually involves either a topical or oral anti-fungal medication.

* Medications. Check the label of all medications (prescription and over-the-counter) that you are currently taking - some of these will often list hair loss as a potential adverse effect. Typically radiation treatment and chemotherapy are considered root causes of hair loss but many other medications can be responsible for some degree of hair loss as well. Consult your physician if you have questions regarding medications that you are currently taking if you feel they might be responsible for hair loss that you are experiencing.

* Underlying disease. There are a number of illnesses that can lead to hair loss. Two examples are diabetes and lupus. Usually hair loss due to underlying disease is often accompanied by other symptoms indicative of the causal illness. If you have other symptoms that accompany hair loss that lead you to believe that you might be ill, consult your doctor.

As you can see, you really need to rule out illness, infection and medication as root causes of your hair loss. It is important that you do so to assure that some underlying health issue does not go unaddressed. That having been said, given the statistics it is likely that Male Pattern Baldness is a factor in your hair loss. If this is the case there are a number of remedies available that each show varying levels of effectiveness in different subjects. You can likely find one that will slow or even reverse your hair loss, but searching can be difficult and expensive. - 15683

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