Footballer Experiences Unfortunate Pattern of Hair Loss

Posted by Mike Peake

In this article: Hair Loss | Male Hair Loss


When nature has been cruel enough to single a man out for genetic hair loss, you might think that his bad luck would end there. Unfortunately, as Macedonian player Goran Pandev has discovered, this isn’t always the case.

The 34-year old, who plays for Italian team Genoa, was being substituted in a match against Udinese when TV cameras followed him to the dugout an aerial shot which gave a clear view of the top of Pandev’s thinning hair.

As many media outlets, including The Sun and SPORTbible, were quick to pick up on, the TV footage sparked hilarity on social media because the player’s advanced hairloss formed an unfortunate shape... that looked rather like a penis.
Footballer Goran Pandev male hair loss on top unfortunate pattern

Shape of male pattern hair loss


Pandev’s hair thinning is caused by Male Pattern Baldness, a common condition that will affect more than half of all men, and there is no doubt that his has taken an unfortunate shape here. This is especially true for a man whose career often involves having people looking at him from above, with the added pressure of TV cameras and their zoom lenses.

Believe it or not, what Pandev is experiencing is actually a typical shape that male pattern hair loss can take. Though with cameras and fluorescent lighting focused on it, the shape may look somewhat exaggerated in his case. It appears that Pandev’s balding areas at the crown merged with localised thinning on top. The former Inter Milan forward also has a pronounced receding hairline, which seems to emphasise things.

"It looks just like the normal progression of male pattern baldness," says senior Belgravia hair loss specialst, Leonora Doclis.

"The areas along the top of his head and crown that appear bald in this photo are likely to still have hair growth, but thinner and lighter colour. Really, it is almost certainly just the lighter hairs against the thicker ones that has caused this shape to appear. It is common that a bridge forms from the corners while the peak part stays thick."

The reason this happens is that Male Pattern Hair Loss only affects the top of the scalp and tends to present in three distinct areas. These are the crown, the hairline and the vertex (top of the scalp) as, for men with a genetic predisposition, the follicles in these areas are the ones sensitive to a hormone called DHT which causes their gradual deterioration. The hair may not shed from all these areas at once - hence it is possible to have a good head of hair with a receding hairline - and even if there is thinning from two or more of these locations, the rate of hairloss may differ. In Pandev's case it seems his crown and widow's peak are at a more advanced stage of thinning than his vertex.

Options for dealing with hair loss on top



Non-surgical male hair loss treatment programmes, featuring MHRA-licensed and FDA-approved medications, are a popular option with men worried about thinning and preventing baldness. This can generally produce results for most men, as long as there is hair there to work with as - even where this hair is thin - this indicates that the follicles are still open to stimulation and have the potential to grow hair. Where the scalp is smooth and shiny - key signs of baldness - this means the hair follicles are no longer functioning.

By utilising either or both of the only two clinically-proven male pattern hair loss solutions  finasteride 1mg and minoxidil  treatment courses can help to stabilise hair fall, prevent further follicular deterioration and promote hair growth. The DHT-blocking tablet finasteride 1mg can be used on its own or paired with suitable formulations of high strength minoxidil, which is applied directly to the scalp, to help encourage regrowth.

Complementary hair growth supporting products used alongside the prescribed medications can further augment this approach. These range from low level laser therapy - LLLT - which can be used at home via a handheld device, to nutritional support from Belgravia's exclusive food supplements, Hair Vitalics for Men, which combine key vitamins, minerals, amino acids and botanical extracts, including biotin, selenium and zinc for the maintenance of normal healthy hair growth.

In order for this non-surgical approach to be effective it is crucial that the hair follicles are still functioning. If there are areas of baldness or scarring, a hair transplant may be worth considering. Even then, a pharmaceutical hair loss treatment course can form a crucial part of the on-going aftercare. This is to prevent the hairs along the top of the scalp and hairline - which still remain subject to the effects of DHT - from shedding around the new grafts. Failure to properly preserve the hair in this way may lead to the transplanted hairs 'floating' alone as an island, as the hair around them thins and falls away, giving an unnatural look. Something Pandev knows all about already - especially if he uses Twitter.
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The Belgravia Centre

The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.

View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.

Posted by Mike Peake

In this article: Hair Loss | Male Hair Loss


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