As we grow older, we become more aware of certain things about ourselves that we used to not have to so much as blink an eye at: “Is my stomach getting larger?” “What is the deal with the bags around my eyes?” And, for many men, “My hairline does not seem to be where it once was…” Our bodies, of course, change with age. Some things gets droopy, others get bigger, and some things just fall right out: Our hair.
Men are the clear majority of sufferers when it comes to hair loss. There is more than just one reason or two that causes our hairlines to gradually recede into something resembling a horseshoe, but the most common of these is Pattern Baldness, known scientifically as androgenetic alopecia.
Pattern Baldness is genetic, so if you’ve got it, you’ve got it for good. Studies have shown that in fact many of us do have it, with 25% of men exhibiting signs by the age of thirty, with nearly two thirds of men becoming completely bald or on their way toward baldness by age 60.
While Pattern Baldness may be permanent, as there is no “cure,” it can be treated and managed using a variety of methods, including different procedures such as hair follicle replacement surgery. But most men don’t have money, nor the time to go through such great lengths to save their scalp, meaning many turn to hair loss medications in order to stop the recession in its tracks.
Hair loss medication, however, has always been met with a mixed reception until very recently. A lot of this is due to our lack of understanding of Pattern Baldness in general, therefore not understanding how these medications work. Male Pattern Baldness is not due to the actual loss of hair, but rather from the failure to grow new hairs because of the presence of testosterone.
Therefore, medications such as Propecia inhibit the conversion of testosterone into other hormones that play a key role in the loss of hair, and is only approved for use in men with Male Pattern Baldness. There are others, such as Rogaine which contains the drug minoxidil, but how it works exactly remains somewhat of a mystery.
The important thing above all is that these medications do in fact have a fairly positive success rate when it comes to both preventing and stopping hair loss. Just like with any medication, its effectiveness depends on many factors, such as the individual who is using it, drug interactions, etc. But with new products being developed on an increasingly regular basis, Pattern Baldness is being effectively treated and stopped in more and more men.
So when you start to notice loose hairs in the sink or the shower, or that your side-part is starting to look more like the Parting of the Red Sea, have confidence in the fact that hair loss medications do work, and that all it takes is working with your doctor in order to find the right one for you.