Hair Loss Treatment and Consultation
Hairs develop in small holes in the skin, called follicles, which contain hair roots. The average human head has 100,000 hairs that grow about three years before falling out. Approximately 50 to 100 hairs usually fall out daily, and new hairs normally grow to replace them.
Androgenetic alopecia, commonly called balding, is hormone and genetics related and results in thinning hair and hair loss. Male pattern baldness affects about half of all men at some point in their lives, and alopecia areata affects one or two percent of people during their lives. Male pattern baldness sometimes begins in the late teens, but most men do not start losing their hair until late in their 20s or early in their 30s.
Hair loss of any kind may create a lack of self-esteem and confidence in those who are concerned about their appearance. Some people even suffer from emotional distress or depression, but many men do not let the condition trouble them at all. People who are distressed by hair loss can be encouraged by knowing there are medications available now that are effective in treating hair loss. If you are concerned about hair loss, the Co-operative doctor website can provide you with a free, no obligation consultation to help determine the best method of treatment for your condition.
Male Pattern Hair Loss Causes
DHT and Hair Loss
Male pattern baldness, also called androgenetic alopecia, is associated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a form of the male hormone, testosterone, which is super-charged. Oversensitive hair follicles cause the condition when they react to the presence of too much DHT. Hair thins and does not grow for as long a time as normal, and the balding occurs gradually because it affects different follicles at different times.
Auto-Immunity
Another type of hair loss, called alopecia areata, causes patches of baldness that may not be permanent. It most often affects young adults and teenagers but can happen at any age. An autoimmune condition is responsible for the hair loss because the body’s natural defence system damages hair follicles instead of attacking infections. The damage is usually not permanent, so the hair may grow back several months later.
Other Causes
Anaemia, stress, fungal infections and chemotherapy or other prescribed medicines may cause hair loss that is usually temporary.
People who have other autoimmune conditions such as thyroid disease, diabetes and vitiligo are more likely to have alopecia areata, and more than 20 percent of people with Down’s syndrome have the condition as well.
Hair Loss Treatment
Some people use wigs, hair transplants or weaves to hide their baldness, and some men shave their entire heads, so their baldness will appear to be intentional.
Herbal hair loss treatments containing vitamin E, iron, zinc, magnesium and other ingredients can be effective in treating hair loss.
Hair Loss Medication
Minoxidil
Rubbing a lotion called minoxidil on the scalp daily can slow hair loss and even cause new hair to grow. About half of the men using minoxidil stop losing hair, and about 15 percent of them have good regrowth of their hair. It is available from a pharmacist without a prescription, and the five percent solution is more effective than the lower two percent strength, but you must keep using it to continue its effectiveness.
It normally takes at least four months to notice any effect from using minoxidil, but if a user stops the treatment, any new hair falls out after several months. The lotion may be effective for some women with male pattern baldness as well.
Propecia
The latest drug treatment for androgenetic alopecia is Propecia, a tablet that slows hair loss and reportedly causes new hair growth as well. Finasteride, the active ingredient in Propecia, blocks the testosterone’s conversion to DHT, which is one of the primary causes of male pattern baldness. The reduced activity of DHT allows hair follicles to enlarge back to normal because the hormone no longer affects them. The drug, used in the USA since 1997, became available in the UK in 2002. You must have a private prescription from a GP for the drug in the UK, and its effectiveness lasts only as long as you keep taking it.
About two out of three men taking the hair loss medication finasteride every day experience some regrowth of hair, and most men do not lose any more hair while taking the drug. Only about one in one hundred men report no improvement.
Most men take about four months to notice any effect and about one or two years for full regrowth of their hair. If they stop treatment, the balding process resumes, so they must continue taking finasteride to maintain its effectiveness.
Free Online Hair Loss Consultation
If hair loss is bothering you, we invite you to participate in an online consultation regarding your condition. The Co-operative Doctor consultation is free and may provide you with a prescription for a course of Propecia if it is suitable for your particular situation. The drug may help in stopping your hair loss and restoring hair on your scalp.
When you register for your free consultation and complete the form online, a doctor will review your information and make a recommendation. The doctors review most consultations within an hour of submission during ordinary working hours, and if they suggest a prescription, you can place your order online and receive it the next day. However, you are under no obligation to purchase medication when you take advantage of our free consultation. Our doctors are all GMC registered, and your information will always remain private with our secure process using encrypted services for all personal information you provide. You have the option to request that our doctors inform your personal doctor of any prescribed medications, but that will not be done without your authorization.
Take a look at the chart below, and make a note of which of the images most closely resembles your current hair loss pattern (e.g. Type V etc)
Mention this on your consultation where prompted to do so.
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