Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/2585/-1/133/
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ASK YOUR DOCTOR: Balding In Men by Doctor Brett Hodge
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Balding in men is a very common problem, although in the majority of cases it is not associated with any medical condition. We should take the patient’s concerns about balding seriously as it may be associated with long term psychological sequelae.
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Dr. Brett Hodge
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What is balding?
Balding is a normal process that develops in all men. The extent and type of balding may vary tremendously. Balding is influenced by male sex hormones called androgens. This form of hair loss is also called androgenetic alopecia and is the most common cause of hair loss. There is a strong inherited factor in balding. The trait can be inherited from either your mother’s or father’s side of the family. If you are a young man and want to know if you are likely to go bald, look at your mother’s father to get your best guess.
People are born with about 100,000 hairs on the scalp. Each day about 100 hairs are shed from the scalp and about the same number enter the growth cycle. Hair loss is due to a shorter growth cycle of the hair.
Hair thinning usually begins between the ages 12 and forty years of age. It is estimated that about half the population of men will experience some form of balding by the age of fifty years.
Can medical conditions cause balding?
In general most hair loss is not due to illness or a medical condition. In a very small number of cases balding may be due to the following:
• Excessive weight gain or loss in a short period of time
• Recovering from a high fever
• Anti-cancer treatment
• Iron deficiency anaemia.
How common is male balding?
It is estimated that one in four men begins to go bald by the age of thirty and by age sixty, 2 out of 3 men have some type of balding.
Types of balding
There are many variations of balding. These include the following:
• Recession of the front hairline above the temples
• Loss of hair in the centre of the scalp also called “bald spot.”
• Uniform thinning of the hair over the top of the scalp with no discernible pattern. This usually progresses to complete baldness.
Treatment
Hair plays a great role in defining one’s self image and it is for this reason that some men are very concerned about balding and seek treatment. Many men in Anguilla, and some other countries shave their hair completely when balding starts and to many especially their women friends they appear “cool”. Other men have difficulty coming to terms with balding and seek treatment. Two drugs are available for treatment at this time. These are minoxidil and finasteride. Both drugs are very expensive and have some side effects. Drugs do not benefit men who are completely bald or those without finer hair growing in the bald regions.
Surgical hair transplant is another option, but is extremely expensive and requires a very experienced surgeon as there can be serious complications.
Conclusion
Balding in men is a very common process. While some men accept the process of balding as a part of getting old, many others have difficulty coming to terms with it and seek treatment. The treatment options available are not always acceptable or successful for all men with balding. Some men who do not accept balding as a natural process opt for the cheapest and most practical method available when they start to become bald. They just shave their scalp completely!
Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. Dr. Brett Hodge is an obstetrician/gynaecologist and family doctor who has over twenty years in clinical practice. Dr. Hodge has a medical practice in the Johnson Building in The Valley.