By William A. Baruwa
Loss of hair (especially on the head) is what is generally referred to as alopecia in medical terms. In humans it can result from heredity or hormonal imbalance or certain diseases or drugs and treatments (chemotherapy for cancer). Male hair loss often referred to as male pattern baldness or male pattern hair loss is the most common type of hair loss and affects at least half of men over 50 years of age.
Also, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (2022), around 50% of men experience major hair loss by age 50, but when this shows up aggressively in a man’s 20s or early 30s, it may be linked to stress, hypertension, fungal infections picked up via shared clippers, or even the excessive use of bodybuilding supplements. Our barbershops, often regarded as safe spaces for relaxation and banter, can unfortunately also be hubs for infections that slowly eat away at hair roots, especially when hygiene is overlooked.
Further common causes are:
- Alopecia areata – patches of hair loss approximately the size of a coin which is caused by a problem with the immune system. Hair loss is usually momentary; nevertheless some individuals may develop a more serious type.
- Scarring alopecia – where hair loss occurs as a complication of another condition like scleroderma (a disease that leads to patches of the skin to become hard and puffy) or lichen planus (a form of itchy skin rash). This type of hair loss is typically long-lasting as the hair follicle (the small hole where the hair strand grows from) is impaired.
- Anagem effluvium – the loss of hair all over the body that many a times is caused by medical treatments, like chemotherapy.
- Telogen effluvium – a common form of baldness involving thinning of the hair instead of bald patches. Usually the only hair affected by this form of alopecia is hair on the scalp and it is likely to be activated by long or short term sickness, physical or emotional stress, and daily life patterns.
Hair thinning is often regarded as a usual aspect of the ageing process. The signs will typically commence in your late 20s or 30s, and you may notice a receding hairline in the beginning. Following, your hair will start to thin and widespread baldness possibly will follow in some cases. Time and again male pattern baldness is hereditary (if someone in your family suffers from baldness, there is a greater chance you are likely to experience some signs).
Among a huge majority of cases, hair loss among men is harmless and there is no reason for serious medical concern. Though hair loss, particularly at an early age, can cause a lot of distress and is likely to affect your quality of life. If you go through feelings of depression or nervousness as a result of hair loss, you should arrange to speak with your physician. A visit to your doctor should also be deliberated if you think that you are going through the symptoms highlighted earlier for alopecia areata or scarring alopecia.
A physician will carry out a diagnosis of the reasons for your hair loss with a physical examination of your hair as well as scalp, and by interacting with you about your symptoms. If a cause such as alopecia areata or scarring alopecia is suspected, your doctor will discuss treatments for that condition with you – treatment for both alopecia areata and scarring alopecia will normally involve steroids (in the form of creams, ointments, or injections) or immunotherapy (stimulating hair growth by creating a deliberate allergic reaction to an affected area). You may require scalp reduction surgery (where areas of bald scalp are removed and the skin is stretched to substitute what has been eliminated) if your doctor thinks you are suffering with scarring alopecia as part of your treatment. You will need to deliberate on this with your doctor. Concerning male pattern baldness, no form of therapy is medically required, but there are many forms of treatments that a lot of men favour to take for cosmetic reasons. These are likely to be invasive procedures and are frequently unavailable as an option:
- Medication –available only on private prescription; there are drugs that work by blocking the conversion of the hormone testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (also known as DHT, this can reduce the life of hair follicles). This type of medication allows hair follicles to increase to usual size, while others available as over the counter (OTC) are lotions applied directly to the scalp. It is unknown how efficacious either treatment will be since many at times the balding process tends to return as soon as treatment is stopped.
- Scalp surgery – scalp operation like hair transplantation (where individual or small groups of hair are grafted onto the scalp) has been applied for many years and techniques have become better all this while. The rates of success differ and also the treatment is costly and not readily available.
Your physician can run through the important alternatives with you and is likely to refer you to a specialist or even recommend counselling.
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