Male Pattern Baldness

Contents

The Problem of Male Pattern Baldness
What Is Male Pattern Baldness?
What Causes Male Pattern Baldness?
Male Pattern Baldness Treatment Options
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
Topical Minoxidil
Choosing The Right Male Pattern Baldness Treatment Plan
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Male Pattern Baldness

What Causes Male Pattern Baldness?

Some medical professionals believe sex hormones contribute significantly to male pattern baldness. This condition is linked to significantly high levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which comprises a class of male sex hormones known as androgen. Having high amounts of androgen can result in increased hair growth in addition to making you lose hair more rapidly and earlier.

DHT can pair up with hair follicle receptors in the scalp, which can result in them shrinking and producing fewer hairs. When the  DHT-sensitive follicles produce fewer hairs, the area of the scalp with these types of follicles appears to thin out. Eventually, these follicles will produce thinner, shorter, and finer hairs, or they quit producing hair completely. 

High levels of androgens that include DHT can shrink hair follicles and shorten the hair growth cycle. This phenomenon can also lengthen the time required for the follicles to grow any new hairs once the old hairs drop out.

While some medical professionals believe sensitivity to DHT contributes to male pattern hair loss, treatments are available which can decrease the incidence of male pattern baldness by specifically targeting DHT. These treatments can make you feel more confident and bring back lost self-esteem. 

Do you find yourself losing hair at a rate faster than you were before? Talk with a hair transplant specialist to discuss the underlying cause that disrupts the stages of hair growth.

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Male Pattern Baldness Treatment Options

If you’re experiencing male pattern baldness, you don’t have to lose hope. Several treatment options exist for male pattern baldness.

01
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is one type of…..

02
Topical Minoxidil

Minoxidil has been one treatment for androgenetic alopecia…..

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) is one type of hair transplant procedure that hair transplant specialists can use to treat androgenetic alopecia. This method of hair transplant surgery extracts healthy, functional individual hair follicles from densely populated donor sites, such as the back of the head and between the ears, and implants them to thinning, receding, and balding areas of the scalp. 

When hair transplant surgeons treat individuals for androgenetic alopecia using FUE techniques, they harvest hair follicles from the back of the head and transplant the follicles to areas where the follicles have shrunk. In this case, many surgeons stop at approximately 15% of donor hair to ensure sufficient coverage.

Unlike the more invasive methods that include follicular unit transplantation (FUT), FUE doesn’t require obtaining a donor strip of hair to collect individual follicles, and it often produces superior results with significantly reduced painful side effects compared to the outdated “strip” procedure. 

When it comes to aesthetics, an experienced hair transplant specialist can create a hair replacement that will look and feel like a truly natural hairline, assuming the individual has sufficient hair available at the donor site. However, individuals should be aware that a hair transplant might not necessarily be a cure for baldness.

Topical Minoxidil

Minoxidil has been one treatment for androgenetic alopecia since its introduction in the 1990s as an over-the-counter drug. Minoxidil, which comes in cream or lotion form, gets applied directly onto the scalp. 

Minoxidil works by halting the development of hair loss caused by androgenetic alopecia and then stimulating new hair growth in the follicles. You may need four months to see proper results, and you must continually use it to maintain the desired effects. Once you stop, hair loss returns, and new hair will not grow.

Ask your hair restoration specialist if your hair loss does not improve after taking topical minoxidil for one year. Your surgeon may suggest a more permanent solution, such as FUE, to address hair loss concerns.

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