Wednesday 27 July 2011

Defeat Male Pattern Baldness With Treatment

Take a stroll down the crowded streets of London or Worcestershire and you will find many bald men of different ages. Some of them have accepted their baldness while others try different non-clinical methods to improve their appearance. Using wigs or trying ingenious combing techniques is not uncommon, especially as most bald men recognise their hair loss too late and give up on medical treatment. But hey! Here is a medicine which is worth trying to treat male pattern baldness (MPB), the most common type of male hair loss. It is Propecia finasteride - an FDA-approved medicine that claims to provide a visible solution to male pattern hair loss. The good news about this medicine is that it can stop hair loss within a year and can even initiate new hair growth.

How it
male pattern baldness caused?

What exactly causes MPB is still not well understood. Most dermatologists believe that this condition is caused by hormonal and genetic factors. Recent research has revealed that a man can start losing his scalp hair as a result of a gene variation inherited from either side of his family, paternal or maternal. When it comes to hormonal causes, an androgenic hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can cause MPB by damaging the hair follicles.


High levels of free testosterone and an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase can also trigger
male pattern hair loss. Studies show that men who are most likely to suffer from this type of hair loss have low levels of total testosterone in their body. 5-alpha reductase can convert free testosterone to DHT and this is one of the main reasons many men tend to lose hair as they grow old. The amount of free or unbound testosterone tends to increase with age.

How can you treat
male pattern baldness?

Finasteride, the active ingredient of Propecia, is basically a 5-alpha reductase blocker. Once-a-day finasteride can inhibit the testosterone-dihydrotestosterone conversion and in doing so, can prevent follicle damage. With follicles remaining active and capable of producing new hair, chances of telling your grandchildren a tale of how you prevented
baldness and experienced hair regrowth manifold.

Male pattern
hair loss being a progressive condition may be controlled with certain small lifestyle adjustments. It is vaguely suggested that endurance-enhancing aerobic exercises or weight training can reduce the volume of free testosterone in the body, which can help decelerate hair loss. But it is only a hypothesis as of now and not supported by any empirical research.

Early diagnosis plays an important part in hair loss
treatment. As the term suggests, MPB follows a particular pattern, which you can identify by yourself. First your hairline will start to grow back, followed by loss of hair in patches on the crown. This should alert you to seek medical help so as to prevent further loss of hair. Results with Propecia show that this medicine is very effective in preventing hair loss on the crown, but may not stop your hairline from receding. In any case, you can figure out whether or not finasteride is working for you within 6-12 months.

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