Taiwanese Men Have Higher Rate of Male Pattern Baldness

A survey commissioned by a German pharmaceutical company has shown not only that incidence rates of male hair loss in Taiwan are high, but that shedding very often begins when men are still young.

The study of Taiwanese men suggests that the male inhabitants of this small island off the coast of China frequently show signs of balding before they turn 30, and that they are more likely to do so than men from neighbouring territories such as South Korea.

According to the Taipei Times, more than 60 per cent of men with genetic hair loss say they started experiencing thinning hair before their 30th birthday.

Confusing snippets

The article does contain a few slightly confusing snippets of information: it states, for example, that 60 per cent of Taiwanese men have shown signs of hair loss by the age of 30. What the writer may mean, however, is that 60 per cent of the men who do have Male Pattern Baldness (which they say is 39 per cent of all Taiwanese men) showed signs of losing their hair before they were 30. This would not be all that surprising, as general statistics indicate that up to 70 per cent of all men who are genetically predisposed to lose hair to Male Pattern Baldness will start thinning, and or developing a receding hairline, before they reach their 30th birthday.

Clearly, significant numbers of men from Taiwan start going bald while still in their 20s or possibly younger still, as the article quotes clinical dermatologist Chao Chao-ming who explains that one of his patients was a 20-year-old male whose hair began falling out at junior high-school and who was almost completely bald by senior high. The dermatologist felt that it was likely to be stress from school exams that caused the shedding.

In fact, the survey mentions that many Taiwanese men feel that stress plays a big part in their hair thinning; 43 per cent feel that this is the main cause.

What is known about genetic hair loss in men is that it is hereditary, meaning that it is pre-programmed in the DNA of certain men. But we do also know that stress can play a part although exactly how much influence stress has on speeding up the onset of Male Pattern Baldness in those with an underlying predisposition, or accelerating existing pattern hairloss unclear.

Stress and hypertension

A study in Bangalore recently led researchers to claim that stressed out young male city workers who were suffering from hypertension were losing their hair. Additionally, a survey by the British Heart Foundation found that people are smoking more, exercising less and putting on weight because pressures of work are causing them to have unhealthy lifestyles. This, it was noted, can lead to hair loss.

People often overlook the fact that the scalp and hair follicles are affected by how we treat our bodies. Just as a man who drinks heavily and smokes 40 cigarettes a day is unlikely to be running marathons in record times, his lax approach to health means that his under-nourished scalp could be suffering, too, especially if he carries the relevant hairloss genes.

Hair loss treatment for men that is overseen at a well-established clinic explores lifestyle issues such as diet, smoking, stress and fitness as part of the package. There are two clinically-proven, MHRA licensed and FDA approved treatments for men's hair loss designed to stabilise shedding and encourage new growth - as well as prevent baldness when used on an on-going basis.

However, when discussing their hair problems with a specialist, it is also worth having a conversation regarding overall health and lifestyle in case there are any areas which may affect treatment or need to be dealt with separately outside of a designated course - such as stress management.

For hair loss advice of any kind whether you are male, female, western or Taiwanese the best place to start is always with a consultation with a dedicated hair expert so they can provide a diagnosis, prognosis and treatment recommendations, where appropriate, for consideration.