Male pattern baldness - causes and treatment

Today, people around the world are very closely monitoring the state of their appearance, and not only women, but also men. And one of the common cosmetic problems in the stronger sex is baldness. It would seem, well, what’s wrong here - appearance for a man is not the main thing. But just look at the pictures of the same man with and without hair, when he can not cope with alopecia. The hair makes a person more youthful, attractive and self-confident. Modern methods are simply amazing in their diversity - the fight against baldness is on all fronts, hair is even transplanted from other parts of the body! In this article, we will try to understand why men go bald, what contributes to this and how to deal with this problem.

Why do men go bald

Indeed, the question is quite interesting, because men do not use a hairdryer and ironing, they practically do not dye or curl their hair, they do not experience aggressive chemical procedures like women do. And, nevertheless, by the age of forty, more than half of the representatives of the stronger sex have alopecia in its various manifestations. Let's try to figure out why men are getting bald.

1. Genetic influence. The vast majority of men are bald against the background of a hereditary factor. The hormone dihydrotestosterone is produced in every male body - this is a biologically active form of testosterone. But the amount of this hormone is determined genetically. If there is a lot of this hormone in the body, it inhibits the growth and development of hair follicles. Pay attention to maternal and paternal men. If they are already bald by the age of 35-40 partially or completely, in 70% of cases the same outcome awaits you, no matter what you do.
2. Stress. A great influence on the condition of the hair is exerted by nerve stresses. Unfortunately, men very often face stress and anxiety at work, they are more categorical in nature, therefore they are often subjected to neurological tests. Sharp baldness may be the result of a sudden psychological trauma (loss of a loved one, etc.).
3. Impaired blood circulation. Some diseases localized in the head and neck, cause a violation of blood flow in the scalp. Due to this, the amount of oxygen that enters the hair follicle is reduced. For example, with cervical osteochondrosis, the blood flow to the head decreases sharply, this causes not only alopecia, but also hypoxia, and severe headaches develop. Violation of the blood flow can be caused by such pathologies as neuritis of the occipital nerves, ENT diseases, lymphadenitis of the submandibular region, etc.
4. Avitaminosis. If a person eats poorly, sits on rigid and uniform diets, vitamin deficiency may occur in his body. Iron deficiency most often affects hair condition.
5. Diseases A lot of different diseases that adversely affect the condition of the hair and become the cause of their loss. Among them, diseases of the pancreas and thyroid gland, adrenal glands, diabetes mellitus. The cause may be tuberculosis, syphilis, autoimmune disorders. Quite often with gastrointestinal diseases, the process of assimilation of vitamins is disrupted, because of this the follicles are depleted, the hair quickly falls out.
6. Diseases of hair follicles. Sometimes hair falls out directly against the background of diseases of the hair follicles or scalp. Seborrhea, keloid follicles, perifolliculitis - all this can lead to baldness in a short time.
7. Poisoning. Sometimes focal alopecia occurs against the background of poisoning with drugs, drugs, radiation, etc.
8. Medication. Some drugs and dietary supplements can give a similar effect if you take them for a long time. Antidepressants, anti-tumor medicine, and aggressive sports supplements cause baldness.

Baldness can be androgenetic, focal or cicatricial. Androgenetic alopecia is most common - it is a classic hair loss in two parts of the frontal zone according to the M-type. Further, only the hairy part in the shape of a horseshoe remains on the head, after which the person becomes completely bald. Alopecia areata occurs in certain areas, hair in these areas may fall out and then grow back. Cicatricial hair loss is characterized by isolated areas of the scalp on which the hair follicles completely died.

Drug treatment of alopecia

The first thing you need to do is contact a trichologist who will help identify the true cause of hair loss. The chosen treatment tactics will depend on the diagnosis.

1. Vitamins First of all, the doctor prescribes vitamins to eliminate the deficiency of important trace elements in the body. The composition of complex preparations should include such trace elements as iron, zinc, phosphorus and calcium. Mandatory B vitamins.
2. Vascular medicine. These are drugs that improve blood circulation in the vessels of the scalp, due to which the follicles are saturated with oxygen and other nutrients. Among such funds are Curantil, Actovegin, Trental, etc.
3. Hormones. With the autoimmune nature of the problem, the patient is prescribed hormone therapy, both for internal use and for external use. Hydrocartisone and prednisone can be taken both in the form of capsules and tablets, and used topically in the form of an ointment. In complex cases, drugs are prescribed injectively in the affected area.
4. Finasteride. This is a very powerful and fairly safe drug that can stop androgenetic alopecia. To understand its effect, you need to deal with hormones. Testosterone, which is in the body of any person, in particular men, enters the hair follicle. Under the influence of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, the hormone is converted to dihydrotestosterone. So, you need to break this chain. We will not touch testosterone - it is involved in important body processes. But to suppress the production of the enzyme 5-Alpha-reductase is quite realistic, this can be done using the drug Finasteride. It is prescribed inside, with serious lesions, the solution is rubbed locally. Finasteride does not promote hair growth, but is able to stop their loss.
5. Minoxidil If Finasteride stops the loss, then Minoxidil provokes the growth of new young hairs. This drug can be used in the treatment of alopecia in both men and women, although the male dosage is much higher. Minoxidil is contained in such medicinal formulations as Alerana, Regein, Generolon, etc. It is enough for women to use Minoxidil once to get an excellent result, but men will have to apply Minoxidil for a long time, and be sure to pair it with Finasteride. After you start using Minixidil, it may seem to you that your hair has begun to fall out more than usual. This is normal. The fact is that the drug improves blood circulation in the follicular vessels, a new young hair awakens and activates there, which pushes the old dead hair trunks. Wait a little while, and beautiful hair will decorate your head.

Finasteride with Minoxidil gives a powerful result, but this tandem has one serious drawback. As soon as you stop drinking and using these drugs, the hair will begin to crumble again, unfortunately.

How to defeat male alopecia

In the fight against hair loss, you can use numerous home and cosmetic products that will give a real visible result.

1. Therapeutic shampoos. On sale there are many specialized medicinal shampoos that strengthen the hair follicle, provide it with additional nutrition, stimulate the growth of new young hairs. Baldness shampoo should be bought at a pharmacy, not at a cosmetic store. The simplest and most natural shampoos are Burdock and Tar. More serious products include Alerana, Selenzin, Vichy Dercos, Fitoval Hairloss, Kerastase, etc.
2. Mesotherapy This is a physiotherapeutic procedure, which consists in the introduction of special vitamin cocktails under the skin. Active substances nourish and saturate the hair follicle, it wakes up, the growth of the hair trunk is activated.
3. Electrophoresis This procedure consists in the microfrequency effect of currents on the affected areas of the scalp. Electrical impulses stimulate nerve endings, due to which blood circulation increases, the follicle comes to life. In addition to electrophoresis in the fight against alopecia, physiotherapeutic procedures are also used, such as iontophoresis, phonophoresis, Darsonval, laser therapy, etc.
4. Massage. This is one of the effective and affordable means of qualitatively improving blood circulation in tissues. It is more pleasant and easiest to perform the procedure with a special massage comb. Just comb your head with it as often as possible, stimulate a rush of blood to the follicles, provide them with adequate nutrition. In addition, you need to massage the collar zone and neck with your hands or with a special massager to facilitate the entry of blood to the head. By the way, this is an excellent prevention of frequent headaches.
5. Homemade masks. To provide a rush of blood to the areas affected by alopecia, you can use warming ointments and home recipes. In the fight against hair loss, mustard, red pepper or onion is most often used. Cosmetic oils can be added to the masks to soften the aggressive effect of burning components. If you add an egg, kefir, honey or cucumber to the mask, you will provide the hair follicles with additional nutrition. It is very useful to use onion juice - it is rubbed into the affected area, wrap the head with a film and leave for a couple of hours. Then you need to rinse your head with shampoo and rinse the strands with lemon water so that there is no unpleasant onion smell. The result will be noticeable just a few days after the first procedure - new small hairs will begin to appear.
6. Hair transplantation. If medications and home remedies do not help you, you can resort to an extreme, but quite effective measure - a hair transplant. The principle of the procedure is simple - the follicular union is taken in those places where it genetically grows well - as a rule, this is the occipital or temporal region. The follicles are kept in a special solution that helps them stay alive. The second stage - follicles are planted in the recipient area, strictly observing the angle of inclination of hair growth and other nuances. After replanting, the hair is not torn away, it grows as well as in the previous areas.
7. Fully. This modern tool will not help you grow your hair, but it perfectly hides a cosmetic defect. Microfibers adhere to their own hair, taking their texture, color and shape, this is an excellent means for correcting hairstyles, the result is noticeable after 30 seconds after use.

With any type of alopecia, you need to reconsider the quality of your life. It is necessary to provide yourself with a balanced and varied diet in order to eliminate the deficiency of trace elements and vitamins. You need to try to be less nervous - in some cases you will have to take a course of sedatives. Give up bad habits - they also affect the condition of your hair. In the presence of primary diseases, treatment of the underlying pathology should be carried out.

Remember that male pattern baldness is not a sentence. A competent doctor, comprehensive treatment and patient implementation of all recommendations will help you achieve your desired goal and restore the former beauty of your hair!

Video: how to prevent hair loss