Two thousand men who were asked about the things they most worried about confirmed what countless other polls that have gone before unearthed: men are absolutely terrified about
hair loss.
Losing their hair to the genetic condition
Male Pattern Baldness, which is on the cards for the lion’s share of men by the time they hit retirement age (though it often happens much, much earlier), is one of the modern man’s top concerns.
The poll, printed in The Sun, found that men’s biggest nightmare was putting on weight, with the appearance of a
receding hairline or bald spots on the back of their heads - otherwise known as a
thinning crown - a close number two. “Body shape” came in at number three.
Half of men already losing hair
The poll, which was commissioned by a surgical hair restoration company, found that almost half of all men surveyed were already losing their hair. This is perhaps unsurprising given genetic hair loss can strike any time following puberty in those with an inherited predisposition.
Hair thinning in cases of pattern hair loss occurs due to a genetic sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (
DHT) which is a testosterone byproduct that is largely useless following puberty. This binds itself to the follicles around the top of the head and hairline, gradually weakening and destroying them over time. It is this action that causes the outward display of thinning hair and can eventually lead to baldness as, once the follicle has been destroyed, no new hair is produced.
Whilst
signs of hair loss are thought to
start becoming most prevalent in a man's thirties, due to the fact that certain lifestyle factors can exacerbate the rate of Male Pattern Baldness, as modern life is becoming increasingly demanding hair loss is starting increasingly earlier. These factors that can trigger or speed up the rate of hair fall in predisposed men include common issues such as
stress (physical or emotional),
diet imbalances and
smoking.
According to figures released by the American Hair Loss Assocation, two-thirds of men are likely to experience hair thinning by the age of 35, with this number increasing to around 85 per cent of men once they hit 50.
Worried about appearance
The poll's findings also revealed that men worry about their appearance for around 35 minutes every day, which tots up to almost a year-and-a-half in a typical lifetime. This is an awful lot of time and energy to spend worrying about things which can be changed.
The irony is that - just like regular exercise and dietary changes can help to change the way you look - Male Pattern Baldness can also be dealt with. Though many men still aren’t aware of it, there are actually
MHRA licensed and FDA approved male pattern hair loss treatments available.
Finasteride 1mg and high strength minoxidil are non-invasive oral and topical medications designed to stop thinning and promote hair growth, respectively. Finasteride 1mg
can inhibit the formation of DHT, allowing hair growth to proceed unhindered, whilst topical applications of
high strength minoxidil encourage accelerated hair growth and have been seen to be particularly effective at promoting regrowth in stubborn areas, including the hairline and crown.
Appropriate
male hair loss treatment courses can be recommended following a consultation with a specialist. Depending on the level of hair loss when treatment is started, it can take from three to six months to start seeing the results as long as the course is followed diligently, though the more advanced balding is when treatment is first undertaken, the longer this may take.