Hair Loss in Men - All You Need to Know

If you believe that hair loss occurs only in old people or people who are suffering from some disease. In many cases, hair loss can occur even in teenage years. This is known as premature balding. One more common misconception among people is that hair loss primarily affects women. On the other hand, genetically and harmonically, males are more prone to baldness than women.

This fact can be explained biologically. Men often suffer from what is known as male pattern baldness. This is a hormonal phenomenon and the major hormone responsible for it is testosterone which is the male sexual hormone. When the testosterone levels are higher than the normal, there are higher chances of early balding.

The quantity of testosterone levels are regulated naturally within the human body but they can also be affected by external activities like consumption of steroids. These steroids are typically used by athletes to enhance their performance. They operate by elevating the testosterone levels, thus increasing the chances of hair loss.

Beside such activities, testosterone levels can increase abnormally in the body due to a malfunctioning of the endocrinal system. There are two types of testosterone molecules in the blood stream- some of them are bound while the others are called as the unbound molecules. The latter can be transformed to a compound known as Di Hydro testosterone which is an accessory sex hormone.

Under abnormal circumstances the levels of DHT increase in the body and this adversely affects hair loss. DHT molecules impede the process of hair growth by directing damaging follicles. DHT attaches itself to the hair follicles and insulates them from their external cellular environment. Thus, the blood supply to these follicles is terminated and thus they stop functioning. Eventually, in the absence of any blood or food supply to the follicles, they die. When this happens, hair growth is automatically affected and thus hair loss is an eventual outcome.

Gradually, people are beginning to realise that hair loss can be just as difficult for men as for women especially if it happens at a young age. As a result of that, special hair loss treatments are emerging for men. These treatments generally function by reducing the testosterone levels in the body so that follicles are safe and function properly.