Hollywood granted a different image to bald men, when Yul Bryner became popular wearing nothing on his head – according to the movie industry, baldness is sexy.  But in real life, not “reel” life, hair loss is not a welcome event in the life of a man and can be managed with hair vitamins. It is normal for men to lose an average of 100 strands a day.  Losing more than that would mean the individual merits medical attention to prevent more losses that may eventually lead to total hair loss or balding.  Hair vitamins, vitamin shampoos, and follicle stimulators are here to help.

There are three different causes of hair loss for men.  It could be genetic; or the presence of male hormones called androgens; and of course, natural aging.  It is often said that if someone in your family, such as your father or a grandfather has gone bald, then most likely you too will also suffer hair loss at some point in your life.  These are what genetics may trigger but it is not always 100% true for all males in the family.

What hormones affect the hair?  Androgenic hormones (also known as male hormones) include testosterone, androsteinedione, and dihydrotesterone or DHT.  Androgen is found or produced in the male testes and in the adrenal glands. The exposure of hair follicle to DHT leads to androgenic alopecia or what is called the male and female pattern baldness.  Hair follicle is exposed to DHT when high level of 5-alpha-reductase, a certain enzyme which is found in the sebaceous gland converts testosterone into DHT. The sebaceous layer of the skin is usually found in the hair covered areas where hair follicles are located.  This makes follicles a defenseless victim of exposure to DHT.  To lessen the conversion of testosterone to DHT, one needs to limit the activity of 5-alpha-reluctase enzyme and a DHT blocker.  These would address the problem of hair loss.

Aging is another factor that causes hair loss.  When we see an elderly man blessed with thick though maybe gray hair, we could say he is gifted with good aging genes.  Because more often than not, people who are not blessed would be those with thin hair or may have suffered total loss. There are some areas in the head that are deemed to be very susceptible for balding: these are the front, top, and the crown.  These are the areas where most hair that is in the telogen stage is located. You find hair from these areas on your pillow, on combs or brushes and towels, which is why you get alarmed.

Disease and stress are other causes of hair loss.  People who have undergone chemotherapy or radiation may suffer.  However, this hair may grow back after the effect of the procedure is over.  Stress may also cause loss since it suppresses the immune system that may cause hormonal imbalance which then again may cause the production of DHT that is detrimental to the health of a hair follicle.  A microscopic hair analysis will help determine the causes of hair loss.