3 Tips to Help Fight Male Pattern Hair Loss
The bottom line
Male pattern baldness is related to hormones called androgens, and treatment for hair loss depends on the cause. Finasteride tablets are a prescription medicine for male pattern hair loss in men only. Minoxidil solution for men will not work for all men, and continued use is necessary to keep any regrowth.
This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
Key takeaways
- Finasteride is not for use in women. Women who are or may be pregnant should not handle crushed or broken tablets because of a potential risk to a male fetus.
- Side effects reported with finasteride include depression and sexual dysfunction that continued after discontinuation of treatment.
- The minoxidil solution label says not to use it if your hair loss is sudden or patchy, and to ask a doctor first if you have heart disease.
- Many unsafe online pharmacies sell prescription drugs without requiring a prescription. A safe one is licensed with a state board of pharmacy and has a licensed pharmacist on staff.
- Testosterone products are FDA-approved only for men who lack or have low testosterone levels in conjunction with an associated medical condition.
Male pattern baldness can start early in life. The hairline begins to recede, with the crown and top of the head eventually affected. A receding hairline is often associated with male pattern baldness, but not always. People with a receding hairline may also have a high forehead and a widow’s peak.
Male pattern baldness is caused by hormones called androgens. These hormones cause the hair follicles to shrink over time, which leads to less healthy hair growth. You can help fight this type of hair loss in several ways. Some are simple methods, while others require expensive treatments and medications. Here are some tips:
Find Ways to Reduce Your Stress
How to treat hair loss depends on the cause, and stress is one of several causes of hair loss. The connection between stress and hair loss is well known, but male pattern baldness is related to hormones called androgens, and most of the other factors behind it remain unknown. Beyond these simple facts, consider that there is a relationship between hormones like testosterone and your overall mental and physical state. The androgen involved is dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which the body makes from testosterone. Testosterone products are a separate matter: they are FDA-approved only for use in men who lack or have low testosterone levels in conjunction with an associated medical condition. In cases like these – it’s key to visit an ED Clinic Corona (or elsewhere more relevant for you) and discuss testosterone replacement therapy with an expert, which can greatly contribute towards balancing your hormones and resolving many of the issues you might be experiencing.
Stress is one of the causes of hair loss, so you can try to reduce your stress levels. There are several different ways that you can do this, including:
- Getting enough sleep: Sleep deprivation has been linked with increased levels of cortisone in the body, which can contribute to the development of hair loss.
- Exercising regularly: Regular exercise helps release endorphins that work against cortisol production and increase blood flow through your scalp, which helps keep hair follicles healthy and strong.
Quit Smoking If You Do
Smoking and male pattern baldness go hand in hand. Smoking is bad for your health, and it has been shown that smoking can help cause male pattern baldness.
The nicotine in cigarettes is a vasoconstrictor, which makes your blood vessels smaller. When you smoke, the nicotine enters your bloodstream through the lining of your lungs and then goes to other parts of your body, including the hair follicles. The nicotine causes these blood vessels to constrict, which reduces blood flow to the hair follicles.
When less blood flows to the follicle, it cannot grow as well as it should. This can lead to hair loss because not enough nutrients are supplied to the follicle to produce more hair cells than usual.
Quit smoking if you do, or cut back on how much you smoke daily.
Eat Healthy
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is important for your overall health, but it’s also essential to a hair care routine. By eating a variety of foods rich in nutrients, you can help treat hair loss.
Healthy eating tips for fighting male pattern hair loss:
- Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is an important part of any diet. Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help fight free radical damage and prevent hair loss.
- Vitamin E helps reduce hair loss by protecting the scalp from free radical damage. Vitamin E can be found in nuts, soybeans, and vegetable oils like sunflower or safflower. Most people get enough vitamin E from the foods they eat, and vitamin E supplements may be harmful for people who take blood thinners and other medicines, so check with your health care provider before taking them.
- Zinc plays an important role in scalp health because it helps make sebum (oil) production more efficient and keeps your scalp moisturized and hydrated throughout the day without feeling greasy or oily.
