Having hair is a natural part of being a human being. It can be easy for a person to take their hair for granted. One of the things that we like about our hair is that it is one part of our body that we can manipulate. If we do not like the color of our hair, we change it. If we don’t like the length of our hair, we cut it. Understandably, it can be frustrating for people to realize that they are losing their hair. Thankfully, there are many treatments for hair restoration for men and women.
When a man starts losing his hair, it is understandable that he immediately thinks about male pattern baldness. However, it is recommended that as soon as a man starts to lose his hair, he first visits a professional. There are a number of reasons why a person could be losing their hair that have nothing to do with male pattern baldness. In fact, hair loss could be a sign of a more serious illness that needs to be addressed. A professional is going to be able to examine the scalp, factor in other issues that might be affecting hair growth, and then help the patient to make a decision.
Some of the reasons why people lose their hair include autoimmune diseases, thyroid disorders, or an issue with the scalp that might be causing the hair loss. Some men think that male pattern baldness will only go so far. They hope and pray that their receding hairline will eventually stop receding. The truth is that once male pattern baldness starts, nothing is going to stop it until it has fulfilled its purpose or until it is effectively addressed with the right hair restoration treatment.
How Your Genes Affect Balding
There are a lot of famous individuals who are known for being bald. Think of Bruce Willis or Michael Jordan. In your everyday life, it’s likely that you have interactions with men who are completely bald or who are losing their hair. You may be battling with male pattern baldness. When you look at these men or you look at yourself in the mirror, it is easy to assume that this baldness is the result of genetics. The common belief is that baldness comes from your grandfather on your mother’s side. While it is true that this can play a major role in a person losing their hair, it is a lot more complicated than most people think.
Hair loss is something that both men and women experience. However, the majority of research that has been done on balding focuses on what happens to men. Because of this, there is a lot more information out there about male hair loss. Something that researchers agree on is that the same genetic markers that may cause a man to lose his hair are not what cause a woman to lose her hair.
Research has shown that around 30 percent of men are going to lose some of their hair by the time they reach the age of 30. This could be complete male pattern baldness or a receding hairline. By the time they reach the age of 50, 50 percent of men will have experienced some level of male pattern baldness. And by the time they reach 70 years of age, 80 percent of men will have experienced some level of male pattern baldness.
With male pattern baldness, hair loss happens in multiple parts of the scalp simultaneously. The end result is a bald region that is surrounded by hair. When you see a man with male pattern baldness, they have a horseshoe-like shape that is hairless, and the rest of their head usually has hair.
Male pattern baldness is not as simple as a man’s hair falling out. The process of going bald is complex. It seems that most men who experience male pattern baldness have smaller hair follicles on their scalp. Hair follicles in and of themselves are very complex. They are made of a number of types of cells that work together to produce hair. Hair is a chain of proteins, but it is primarily made up of keratin.
Your hair follicles are what determine the color of your hair, whether your hair is straight or curly, whether your hair is thick or thin, and other features. When you have male pattern baldness, not only are your hair follicles smaller to begin with, but over time, your follicles are also producing less and less hair. With time, your follicles die, and that leads to baldness.
But still, we have to answer the question, why do some men go bald when others retain their hair for their entire life? Studies make it clear that your DNA plays a role in determining whether or not you will develop male pattern baldness.
The AR gene is the gene that is related to hair loss in men. This gene is responsible for the androgen receptor protein. One of the responsibilities of this protein is to make it possible for your hair follicles to detect hormones like testosterone as it moves around the body. Testosterone plays a role in determining when men grow hair, where their hair grows, and how much hair grows in a particular area.
The X chromosome is where the ARG is located. This means that chromosome was inherited from your mother. However, the story is more complicated than that. Male pattern baldness is the result of a number of genetic variants working together. Some of these variants have nothing to do with the X chromosome. When all of these variants are found, they are more predictive of whether or not a man will develop male pattern baldness.
Scientists are studying and are keenly interested in the DNA variants that seem to predict male pattern baldness. There are still a lot of questions about how these small changes in DNA lead to hair loss. Many of the small changes have to do with the hair follicle or some of the cells that surround the hair follicle. There are a lot of proteins that are needed in order to produce one hair follicle. All of them need to be considered when striving to find the complete answer for why men go bald.
At the end of the day, it seems that baldness can be inherited from either your mother’s side or your father’s side. There are a number of genetic factors that need to work together for a person to experience male pattern baldness.
Is There a Relationship Between Stress and Hair Loss?
Yes. While there is a difference between hair loss caused by stress and hair loss caused by male pattern baldness, the end result is the same. You start to lose your hair. Stress can trigger conditions like alopecia areata. This condition causes your body’s immune system to attack your hair follicles, leading to hair loss. For some people, this condition simply leads to the development of thinning hair. For others, it leads to the development of bald spots. Not everyone reacts to stress in this way. Researchers are looking at fluctuations in people’s DNA that may play a role in developing this condition when under stress.
There are a number of stressful conditions that may lead to a person losing some of their hair. They include relationship issues, surgery, illness, depression, jet lag, etc. It is recommended that people take steps to keep their stress under control, including getting regular exercise, seeking help from a therapist, eating a healthy diet, talking to their doctor, and treating their hair with care as they wash and style it.
What are the Best Treatments for Hair Restoration for Men?
Minoxidil is a popular treatment for men who are facing male pattern baldness. This treatment is not going to lead to the growth of luscious locks. What it does best is slow down the hair loss or prevent more hair loss as opposed to promoting hair growth. However, if the product is used consistently, most men will see an improvement in their hair after multiple months.
By far the best tool for replacing hair loss is a hair transplant. A few decades ago, hair transplants meant getting hair plugs that did not look natural. Today, there are a number of options available for men looking to improve the appearance of their hair. There is the strip method, where a doctor will remove a strip of hair from the back of your head. Then every hair graft is dissected under a microscope. The doctor will individually plant the grafts into your scalp.
Some men like to wear their hair short. If that’s the case, they may prefer a scarless hair transplant. With a scarless hair transplant, grafts are harvested one at a time, leaving small treatment areas that heal undetected. This means that a person could have these grafts done and still have shorter hair when they want to and not worry about there being a lot of visible scarring.
Some men have gone so bald that they do not have donor hair on their head. In this case, we may take donor hair from other parts of the body depending on the situation.
Both the strip method and the individual harvesting method produce great results. A scarless hair transplant will take just days to heal, whereas the strip method may take a bit longer. You will get to talk with our doctor about the options available to you before deciding which one you will choose. We are proud to offer the SmartGraft hair restoration procedure in addition to numerous other treatment options.
Is your hair loss bothering you? Are you interested in learning about the latest options available for hair restoration for men? If so, book an appointment at Advanced Clinics in Oklahoma City. We look forward to helping you identify the reasons behind your hair loss and then taking steps to improve the condition. Contact us today to schedule your consultation!