Alopecia in Men

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The problem of hair loss problem is generally known as Alopecia. People usually, lose 100s of hairs every day which is a common and natural situation. But excess hair loss can develop a distressing situation. People associate hair loss as a mark of aging. People especially, men do not take this problem seriously in the initial stages. But, there are several treatments options to slow down the hair loss or even stop further hair loss. Some treatments can re-grow hair too. In the US, people spend over $3.5 billion per year to treat their Alopecia.

Baldness pattern in men is generally known as Androgenetic Alopecia which is the first most common form of Alopecia. This type of Alopecia is an inherited trait from the genetic structure. Around 50% of men experience this problem especially those who are over the age of 40. Moreover, the second most common hair loss is Telogen Effluvium and the third-most common hair loss problem is the Alopecia Areata.

The 2^nd type of Alopecia is Alopecia Areata with upto 2% of people at risk of developing it at different point of their lives. Alopecia Areata is not contagious. The symptom is a sudden effect which can be developed within a few days. A smooth bald skin is developed suddenly at anywhere of the head scalp.

Treatments for Alopecia in Men

Men can treat their Alopecia disease with 3 different options. These options are medications, hair transplantation, and the laser therapy. These treatments can be effective for the most of the patients. Treatments are discussed below:

Medications

In the US, two types of medicines are approved to use for Male Pattern Baldness: Minoxdil and Finasteride.

Minoxidil

This medicine is generally the most common form of treatment for Alopecia. It can be found as liquid or in foam. This needs to be applied on the scalp of the head where the hair is missing. This medicine takes a year to show the positive effect. It is shown to effectively slow down hair loss.

Finasteride

This is a prescription-medicine that needs to take on a daily basis. It is effective too but, people should not take without consulting a Doctor. This medicine takes a long time too to show its effect. Patients have to maintain the dose with patience.

Hair transplantation

Though there was an easy and simple way for hair transplantation procedure before in the US, now two types of hair transplantation are mostly used- the follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and the follicular unit extraction (FUE).

The follicular unit transplantation is a classical procedure. In this procedure, a section of the backside skin of the head scalp is taken and then these hair follicles are reinserted into the area of the missing hair.

The follicular unit extraction is the most modern process. In this process, hair follicles are transferred directly to the bald section from the scalp where hair is present in abundance.

The hair transplantation process is easy, but can be painful and expensive as it is a surgical procedure. After the surgery, patients need to take proper safety measures for the protection of the operated area as it can make infections and scarring. The treatments sometimes, take several operations to get the desired result.

Laser therapy

Laser therapy can be used for triggering the regrowth of the hair. This procedure depends on the reduction of the inflammation process. This, in turn, make the hair regrow. Though this process has not been conclusively proven to make the desired result of hair loss, some dermatologists advise to do it especially for those who have not got any effect from medications. Some dermatologists, do not approve of this method in some cases.

These are the some of the treatment options for Alopecia in men. But there are other trigger for Alopecia. We need to be cautious about those issues too. An important fact is the smoking which can be the main cause of Alopecia. Though men do not know this fact, it was proved by some researches that smoking can trigger hair loss. Regular massaging of the scalp with oil can slower Alopecia and in some cases, this can develop the regrowth of hair by stimulating the hair follicles. It has been proven that regularly massaging the scalp only for 4 minutes can show results in 24 weeks. However, oils especially, peppermint oil and the rosemary oil can make a good effect to slower the hair loss by increasing the blood circulation under the scalp skin. A well-balanced diet should also be maintained for the nutrients required for the good growth of hair, these are vegetables, fruits, fats, proteins, even sweets are required to take in a regular basis. Some important elements for the growth of hair are iron, omega-3 fatty acids and high protein and patients should take foods containing these elements. Such foods can be beef, beans, eggs, leafy vegetables, salmon, tuna, flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and seafood. Saw palmetto can be effective for men’s hair growth too. Plenty of water is a must to get all day long. Onion juice can be also effective for men too. Green tea can also be taken for the hair growth.

Mental stress can be a hair loss triggering issue and so, people who are already experiencing Alopecia should lessen their stress. They can change their lifestyle, in this case, like by regular exercising, listening to light music, doing yoga and meditation, and of course, proper sleep. Sometimes these behavioral changes can play a big role in controlling Alopecia. So, people should take Alopecia seriously and treat it in time.

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