Since the beginning of time, men have been trying all kinds
of inventive things to stop their hair from thinning. The Vikings used an
ointment of goose poop. The ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates, used a concoction
of pigeon droppings, horseradish, cumin, and nettles. The Romans tried treating
their baldness with the urine of young foals.
Hair loss
is a devastating ailment for any individual. Unfortunately, most men will experience the loss of hair at one
point in their life,
although it’s more of a men’s problem. Hair
thinning occurs when the cycle is destroyed and replaced with scar tissue and it may be as a result of
a medical condition, hormonal changes, mechanical actions caused by itchy skin
generated by dandruff and stress. It is something that
will happen; generally, there is no way to stop
it from happening altogether.
Hair loss can affect just your scalp or your entire body. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions, or medications. Anyone can experience hair loss, but it's more common in men. Hereditary hair loss with age is the most common cause of baldness. Some people prefer to let their hair loss run its course untreated and unhidden. Others may cover it up with hairstyles, makeup, hats or scarves. And still others choose one of the treatments available to prevent further hair loss and to restore growth.
Male pattern baldness can be treated
with a hair loss medication such as finasteride (propecia), which has some of
the side effects of
swelling in hands or feet, dizziness, weakness, feeling like you
might pass out, headaches, runny nose, or skin rash. Below are five
signs your hair is thinning:
Certain hairstyles are
literally pulling your hair out-Some hairstyles (such as cornrows,
braids, and the infamous man bun) can cause a kind of hair loss called traction alopecia if they are styled too tightly. The pulling force exerted
by these hairstyles can cause your hairline to recede, making the hair around
that area look thinner as hairs are slowly pulled from their follicles.
But
don’t get your hair in a twist. Traction alopecia is reversible in the short
term. Continued styling of the hair in this fashion may result in long-term,
permanent damage to the hair follicle, which results in the inability to grow
hair at all.
There are more hairs on your pillow than normal-Humans
shed about 50 to 100 hairs a day. Excessive shedding may be a sign of telogen
effluvium (a condition that is often triggered by a traumatic event or
prolonged stress). Stress can disrupt the hair growth cycle –
the cycle through which hair naturally grows and falls out. If this happens,
your hair may enter what is known as the “telogen phase”. During this phase
hair is released from the scalp and falls out, which can make hair appear
thinner.
As a result, you may notice a few
extra hairs lingering on your pillow after a nap, or clogging the drain after a
shower. A handy test you can do to check whether you have telogen effluvium is
the “hair pull” test. Pinch 40 to 60 hairs between your thumb and index finger,
and then pull slowly but firmly from the scalp. Usually, only 2 or 3 hairs are
pulled out using this method. If there is excess shedding (telogen effluvium).
More than 10% of the hair will easily be pulled out (provided you haven’t
shampooed in the last 24 hours).
There are noticeably more
hairs in your hairbrush after brushing-If you’re a particularly
well-groomed man, brushing your hair might be an integral part of your daily
routine. If you start to notice more hairs in your hairbrush than normal, it
could be an indication of an underlying condition. Telogen effluvium may first
present itself in the form of extra hairs on your hairbrush. Since hair is much
easier to pull out when it is affected by telogen effluvium, you may find that
more hairs fall out while brushing your hair.
As
previously mentioned, telogen effluvium is likely to result in thinner-looking
hair as more hair enters the telogen (resting) phase and falls out. You may
notice that your hair looks thinner especially after brushing. The symptom of
telogen effluvium typically last 6 to 9 months before new hair begins to
regrow. After this, the excessive shedding stops and hair may return to its
normal fullness.
You’re getting bald
patches-Other than being associated with a receding hairline, male
pattern baldness also results in the formation of bald patches. Before these
bald patches form, the hair around the area gradually gets thinner due to the
action of a pesky molecule called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT alters the
hair follicles on the scalp, making them produce hairs that become smaller,
shorter, and lighter over time. Eventually, the affected follicles completely
shrink and stop making hair altogether.
Your hairline is receding- A
revealing sign of thinning hair is a receding hairline. Your hairline may
recede for a variety of reasons. For example, male pattern baldness – a
condition that is characterized in part by a receding hairline may make hair
appear thinner, shorter, and paler. Telogen effluvium can also make it appear
as though your hairline is receding. Excessive hair shedding due to stress may
cause the hair around the hairline to fall out, reducing the visibility of the
hairline.
“Maybe it's because I have
too much pride or self-respect, but I thought, `Why does a guy who has thinning
hair and who is overweight have to be a loser or a joke?'” (Paul Giamatti) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5 signs your hair’s
thinning” By Shawn Peters
·
“Hair loss” by Mayo Clinic Staff
·
“How to Tell If your Hair Is Thinning and What to Do
About It” By Michael Smith
·
“Propecia”
by RxList
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