There are many types of hair loss that men experience and many different ways that it manifests itself as their hair thins.
For me, I began noticing thinning hair on the top of my head especially from the forehead to the back of my head.
At the time, I brushed my hair straight back and began noticing that the front part of my hair was thinning. At first I didn’t think much of it.
Could it be stress, from being in first year university and finding it to be a harder transition than I thought?
I actually had a feeling my hair might grow back in time as I was under stress and thought it might be temporary. I also had very thick hair growing up as a teen. Perhaps I’m in the clear as far as baldness goes, I hoped.
No such luck.
By about 2 years later – age 22 – I could see where I was headed.
To quote Geddy Lee from Rush from the second song on their third album Caress of Steel….
I think I’m going bald!
Let’s talk about causes and types of hair loss that men suffer from.
Stages of Hair Loss
If you look at the diagram above, you will see several common instances of male pattern baldness.
If you scan the pictures from left to right on the top row and then left to right on the second row, that’s pretty much the progression of baldness for many men.
I never experienced the last pic on row one as my hair loss really focused on the middle part of my head. My hair loss was initially noticeable at the front of my head near the forehead. The thinning was occurring throughout, not just at the front.
Major Causes Of Hair Loss For Men
While doctors are still trying to pin down the exact reason for male pattern baldness, we know that a number of factors can contribute:
Androgenetic alopecia
AKA male pattern baldness. It’s a hereditary condition and since you get this from your parents, there is really nothing you can do to stop it other than trying a commercial treatment such as Rogaine or Propecia. Other options include shaving your head, hair transplant, hair replacement system and things of that nature. These are obviously reactive solutions.
Hair loss in men is primarily caused by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) helping to shrink your hair follicles and eventually killing them. Interestingly, DHT is also the male sex hormone that is responsible for hair growth in other areas of your body, too.
Alopecia areata
An autoimmune deficiency, it manifests itself with patchy hair loss in men that can be permanent but can also correct itself on its own.
Stress
Stress at work, in your personal life, at school, etc can lead to (temporary) hair loss that may be reversed over time
Poor Diet
Being extremely low in protein or iron can lead to hair loss. Low iron can also lead to fatigue, weakness and a fast heatbeat which are clearly serious concerns. Consult a doctor if you think you might have a nutritional deficiency that you’re unable to correct with healthier eating.
Medication
Chemotherapy is widely understood to cause temporary hair loss in both men and women. Certain medications are also believed to contribute to hair loss including antidepressants, acne drugs, steroids, thyroid medications and others.
Conclusion
- Speaking with a medical professional might help to uncover an illness or underlying health issue causing your hair loss that could be part of something more serious.
- It beats trying various solutions that might not only fail to help but prevent you from addressing an underlining health issue.
- If you’re simply searching for a better look to take care of your hair loss, you might consider shaving your head like I do or a hair replacement system (I don’t recommend that one).
- Recent research to deal with several types of hair loss (male and female pattern baldness) has shown some potential aimed at growing new follicles.
What types of hair loss do you suffer from? What have you done – or are you considering – doing about it? Let us know in the comments below!
