Hair Loss – Lifestyle Causing Premature Baldness
Male pattern baldness used to be associated with middle age, but experts say today’s lifestyles are responsible for a greater number of younger people experiencing hair loss.
“Hair loss has usually been found among men aged 30 to 40, but now men 20 to 30 are becoming the majority facing the problem,” Australia-based hair expert, Christopher Wainwright said.
Excessive hair loss can result from many factors, including illness and major surgery but experts agree that lifestyle is likely to be the main reason for the shift in the ages of people being treated.
Leonora Doclis, senior trichologist at the Belgravia Centre says at least three in five patients are in their early 20s and that the pressures today’s youth are under could be contributing to premature hair loss.
“So many things are going on in your early 20s,” Leonora said. “The pressures of study, expectations on careers, moving from one place to another, all of these can create the type of stress that can trigger the early onset of male pattern baldness.”
Male pattern baldness tends to start revealing itself above the forehead, then at the crown. Thinning hair is the first sign of imminent hair loss, the progression of which is related dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is a bi-product in the body that, in those who have a genetic tendency to hair loss, causes the follicle to shrink until it no longer produces hair.
“When combing or brushing, if you notice that you’re shedding hair excessively or your hair is thinner, you need to see a consultant. You have to go through a diagnosis first,” Wainwright said.
Leonora says the increasing number of patients being treated for hair loss is likely to be the result of the availability of better treatments.
“In the past very little could be done about hair loss. Not until the last decade has Propecia and minoxidil been combined to produce significant results.”
Hair loss treatments have come a long way since the early days of painful transplants or less than appealing toupees. In 1986, the topical hair restoration agent minoxidil was approved by the FDA for the treatment of hair loss and Propecia, a one-a-day, DHT-blocking pill, was approved in 1997. These have proven the best and most effective treatments in preventing hair loss and generating hair growth. More recently the HairMax LaserComb was added to the ranks. In 2007, the LaserComb was declared a proven treatment for hair loss.
The effectiveness of these treatments improves sevenfold when combined and administered in the right dose for the individual but their success is further augmented when the medication is supported with the right hair growth boosters. But the key to effectively treating hair loss, as Leonora will tell you, is early action.
“The father of one of our clients lost his hair 35 years ago but back then there wasn’t much that could be done,” she said. “He told me that he promised himself if his son ever started to lose his hair he would do something about it. His son’s just turned 18 and is using the treatment to address his early hair loss. Touching isn’t it?”
If you’re experiencing excessive hair loss, arrange a free consultation with a hair loss specialist at the Belgravia Centre by calling 020 7730 6666 or send an email. Alternatively, the online diagnostic form and world-wide, mail-order hair loss service provides access to anyone seeking professional advice and treatment for hair loss.
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