Men with hair loss “type male” (in this case we are talking about common baldness) have in their scalp increased levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT contributes to reduce the growth phase and to make hair thinner: thus, the normal life cycle of hair is modified and the number of lost hairs increases gradually every day.
AN HEREDITARY PROBLEM
The latest researches on the topic of baldness found out that, reducing the amount of DHT, it is possible to prevent the further loss of hair and, in some patients, to favour its growth. For this reason, nowadays the perspectives of treatment for common baldness are greater.
We must consider that the hair grows on the average one centimeter a month for 2 or 4 years, but then it enters a 2 – 4 week phase of rest. After this period of time the hair falls out. In fact, usually about one hundred hairs are lost every day. As the life cycle of hair is a very slow process, any treatment for baldness requires much time to achieve complete results.
The problem of common baldness – also called androgenetic alopecia – affects 40% of men aged between 35 and 40, reaching 50% from 50 up. But in some men this condition begins to appear from 20 up already. Male pattern hair loss is generally influenced by hereditary factors. For example, a man can inherit this condition by his father, who inherited it in his turn by his grandfather or great-grandfather and so on: someone who is genetically predisposed to lose hair has few chances to keep his head of hair intact, unless he takes measures preventively.
MODERN RESEARCHES
Recent discoveries contributed to identify some of the main causes determining male pattern hair loss. Anyway, it is easy to diagnose common baldness. Actually, as many pathologies can give rise to hair loss similar to androgenetic alopecia, it is necessary that the patient is examined by his doctor in order to get a correct diagnosis: often some causes are temporarary and due to a number of problems (like stress, for instance, or surgery, chemotherapy, excessive amounts of vitamin A, continued use of antidepressants or illnesses like diabetes) that later will be solved.
EXPERT HELP
In the correct diagnosis of baldness the main referent is the dermatologist, as he can individuate exactly the kind of hair loss and the different causes that provoked it. It is very important to realize that, in case of a more or less moderate hair loss, a timely intervention can limit the consequences, facilitating the treatment and the future prevention of the problem.
