What Treatments Are Available for Male Hair Loss?

As the strands thin and the scalp becomes more visible, many men struggle with the physical effects of hair loss. This can often lead to serious self esteem and confidence issues. With approximately 50% of men in the UK facing hair loss at some period in their life, it’s a common issue and a tricky journey to navigate. In this blog post, we’ll be discussing what treatments are available and what lifestyle changes can combat male hair loss.

What is male hair loss?

Male hair loss or androgenic/androgenetic alopecia is when gradual thinning of the hair or receding hairlines occur in men. It often occurs in middle aged men, but can also happen after puberty too. Depending on the cause, androgenic/androgenetic alopecia can either be temporary or permanent.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom of male hair loss is losing more hair than usual. However, it may be accompanied by any of the following symptoms below:

• Widening part – your usual hair parting may appear wider than usual, this is a sign of thinning hair
• Loose hair – when brushing your hair, you may notice that it is collecting more hair than usual or you may see more hair on places like your pillow
• Bald patches – they can start small but range in sizes
• Receding hairline – you may notice your hairline moving further and further backwards
• Pain/itching – most people experience itching on their scalp or a pain-like sensation

What causes male hair loss?

There are many causes of hair loss, this includes:

Age

Male hair loss can happen naturally as an individual ages. Studies say that 16% of 18-29 year old men lose hair, whereas this massively increases to 53% at ages 40-49.

Genetics

If any of your relatives has suffered with male hair loss, you are more likely to deal with it too. Most people believe hair loss is inherited from the mother’s side, but this is false as it can come from both sides of the family.

Stress

When you are stressed or are experiencing chronic stress, your cortisol levels increase which can trigger hair loss. Cortisol in high amounts can also cause inflammation, which damages the hair follicles and prevents new hair growth.

Skin conditions

Skin conditions like psoriasis or dermatitis can often be mistaken for dandruff but are the cause of hair loss in many cases. Hair follicles can become damaged with these conditions or cause inflammation on the scalp.

Lifestyle changes

Making certain lifestyle changes can reduce hair loss and even improve the quality of hair when it is regrown. Here are some lifestyle changes that you can make:

Balanced diet

A balanced and healthy diet is not only the key to keeping your hair and scalp healthy, but your general health too. It’s important that you eat a range of fruit, vegetables, high protein meats and oily fish. Eating iron rich foods like green leafy vegetables, foods rich in omega 3 like salmon and lean meats such as seafood are some of the best ways to promote hair growth.

Minimise stress

When you are stressed, especially for long periods of time, it can cause chronic stress. This results in high cortisol levels which can lead to a certain type of hair loss known as ‘telogen effluvium’. By reducing stress, you lower your cortisol levels to a regular amount. This can be done through methods such as exercise, meditation, sleeping enough hours or by speaking to a healthcare professional like a counsellor or therapist.

Quit smoking

Not only does smoking have a negative effect on the lungs, but it can also directly affect hair loss too.When you smoke, proteins called cytokines are released that increase inflammation and damage the hair follicles leading any new hair growth to be brittle and prone to falling out.

Need help quitting smoking? Check out our Top Tips on How to Stop Smoking For Good.

Massages

A scalp massage not only feels great, but is an ideal method in stimulating the blood flow on the scalp. This then stimulates the hair follicles that can improve hair density. You can do this by using your fingers or a scalp brush may beneficial too. Repeating this daily for around 3-4 minutes can improve hair loss in its early stages.