Male Pattern Baldness

Suffering with hair loss can be a traumatic stage of any man’s life. Whether you’re genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness, or you’re dealing with the side effects of medical treatments, we, at Harley Street Hair Transplant Clinics, have developed this information page to help you understand your hair loss and what you can do to combat it. If you haven’t already, consult our main hair loss page to get a general understanding of baldness!

The truth is, whilst hair loss can affect men and women alike, it can often do so in very different ways. Often affecting different areas of the scalp and occurring as a result of different environmental factors, learning the differences between male and female baldness can be the first step taken to offer a permanent solution to your hair loss.

Before discussing why we lose hair, it is first important to understand the life cycle of a hair follicle. We all have about 100,000 hair follicles on our head at any one time and each follicle us at a different stage of growth. Each hair follicle will go through three stages of growth:

• Hair Growth Phase: If you look at yourself in the mirror, most of your hair follicles on your head in this state right now. Your hair constantly grows as it performs a number of key roles: it insulates your body, removes substances like keratin from your body, and helps expel sexual signals to other people.
• Hair Transition Phase: when your hair stops growing, it enters a brief period when it still remains in the hair follicle (a little structure in your outer layer of skin that houses your hair snugly within it.
• Hair Resting Phase: During this phase, your hair will shed from the follicle, sometimes making room for a new hair to grow. Every day, we lose between 50 and 100 hairs from our head.

Generally speaking, hair loss occurs because more hair is lost from the scalp than can be replaced by new hair follicles. What is even more alarming is that at some point in their lives, 66% of all men will experience signs of male pattern baldness.

There are two factors that cause hair loss in men: genetic and environment. Genetic factors, usually labelled as hereditary hair loss is where losing hair runs in the family. Ever wondered why so many are suffering with a receding hairline at the family party? Well, its in the bloodline! Equally, it is not uncommon for men to suffer hair loss as a result of external factors. It may be the severe stress of modern life or something as simple as a reaction to some medication you’re on – balding can occur in a wide range of scenarios.

The good news is treating hair loss is easy! Whether it’s your scalp or beard, getting a hair transplant is the only long term solution that will put an end to that receding hairline. Book your free consultation today!

When it comes to spotting signs of hair loss, there are a number of different symptoms to watch out for. We’ve derived this list to help you determine what symptoms you may be suffering with:

• Thinning Hair – if you notice that your hair is not as thick and full as usual, this may be a sign of hair loss!
• Patchy Hair Loss – if you are beginning to notice bald spots in your hair, this could be indicative of alopecia areata.
• Loosening of Hair Follicles – if you notice hairs on your pillow or the shower, this may be an indication that you are suffering with hair loss.
• Itchy or Painful Scalp – if you are in a constant state of discomfort, this may be indicative of autoimmune condition, or even something as simple a scalp infection.

If you’re suffering with any of these symptoms, be sure to book yourself a free consultation with one of our doctors who is experienced in diagnosing and treating all forms of hair loss in men!

Androgenetic Alopecia

When it comes to men, androgenetic alopecia is, by far and away, the most prevalent cause of hair loss. Sometimes called “male pattern hair loss”, this condition is characterised by a noticeable receding hairline and a gradual thinning of the hair on the top of your head.

Male pattern hair loss often leaves most patients with a healthy strip of hair on the back of their scalp. This is where surgeons find donor hairs for most hair transplant procedures! For more information on FUE, FUT, and DHI hair transplants, you can view our hair loss treatments page.

Alopecia areata

Another condition affecting men is alopecia areata. This is where a patient finds bald spots on their scalp or, in some cases, beard. Whilst there may be genetic factors predisposing some patients, current research suggests it is an autoimmune condition that can be caused by Type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, or rheumatoid arthritis. This is where the immune system attacks the cells in your own body.

External Stress

With the stresses of modern life, it can often be difficult to think about your hair. Whether it is due to a hair pulling disorder, or the experiencing of sudden hair loss as from a rough time at work, external stressors are a major cause for hair loss. In some cases, hair loss may only be temporary, so it may be wise to monitor your condition over a longer period of time before committing to one of our hair loss treatments.

Whilst hair loss is a condition that will inevitably cause baldness, there are plenty of measures you can take to help limit the extent of balding:

• Avoid extremely hot showers – this can be a major cause of shock to your scalp, stripping your hair of natural oils.
• Avoid using chemical hair products – many hair gels and waxes contain chemicals that can, in fact, damage your hair and scalp.
• Avoid nutrient deficiencies – one cause of hair loss can be due to a lack of vitamin B12, zinc, and iron in their diet.
• Reduce stress – one of the key things men can do to limit their hair loss is to limit the amount of stress in their lives. Whether it’s taking up yoga, or just finding five minutes in your day to breathe, controlling the amount of stress in your life can help slow the effects of hair loss.

When it comes to treating your hair loss in the long term, nothing else compares to a hair transplant. Many patients come to us having already tried other treatments on the market, like chemical treatments and scalp micro pigmentation.

At Harley Street, we’re dedicated to treating all types of hair loss at a cost affordable to everyone. We have a selectable payment plans to aid in combatting hair loss for good. Currently, we offer:

• FUE Hair Transplants
• FUT Hair Transplants
• Direct Hair Implantation

What’s even better is that modern treatments also enable men to have more than just a hair transplant. If you’re worried about facial hair, Harley Street offers FUE treatment options for:

• Beard Transplants
• Eyebrow Transplants

We understand the pressures placed on men to constantly look their best. Book your free consultation today, and commit to a hair transplant with us!

Want to read more about our hair loss treatments? Have a look at our treatment pages and hair transplant costs.