Hair loss in Men
Did you know?
40% of men under the age of 35 suffer from
hereditary hairloss making it one of the most common problems
for men today.
Causes of Hairloss
Many factors can cause people to lose their
hair but the most common is hereditary hair loss. Annoyingly,
this condition affects 40% of men under 35, but at least that
means you're not alone.
What is normal hair loss?
On average, the adult head has 100,000 individual strands
of hair and most people will shed between 40 and 100 of these
per day. The reason for this is that hair growth follows a
cycle. Cleverly named the hair growth cycle, it features 3
phases in which old hairs must be released to make way for
lovely new ones.
What is abnormal hair loss?
Abnormal hair loss means you're losing more hairs than are
being replaced. If this is the case, you'll probably be able
to see more of your scalp than you used to, or you'll notice
more hair than normal clogging up the plughole.
There are many reasons that could be
to blame - a medical disorder, prescribed medication, poor
nutrition, bad hair care techniques or severe stress such
as emotional anxiety, surgery or prolonged illness.
But the most common cause of hair loss is
a hereditary condition known as male pattern baldness or androgenetic
alopecia. This is where the genes and hormones in your
body have a shrinking effect on your hair follicles, making
them ineffective at growing new hairs.
Hereditary hair loss
Androgenetic Alopecia isn't the only reason we lose our hair,
but it is the most common. Other reasons include stress, bad
diet or medical disorders.
Androgenetic Alopecia is easy to identify
because it has a classic set of symptoms. First, the hairline
starts to recede at the brow and temples. Then the hair becomes
thinner and lighter on the crown, while the sides and back stay
pretty much the same.
Of course, you can also look at other members
of your family to see if your hair is following a similar pattern
to theirs. But remember that age and testosterone are also believed
to be factors in the onset of hereditary hair loss, so don't
go blanking your old man just yet.
The good news is that if it's hereditary,
it's treatable.
The hair growth cycle
Normal hair growth happens in a cycle
of 3 oddly named phases: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen. Every
single hair goes through these phases, each relating to different
states of activity. Read on to find out what they mean:
Phase 1 – Anagen
- The growing phase, lasting approximately 1,000 days
The anagen phase is the growing, or the ‘on’ phase.
In humans, this lasts for approximately 1,000 days, but can
range from 2 to 6 years. During the anagen phase, hair cells
grow rapidly, producing the hair shaft from the follicle, which
itself grows deeper into the scalp. The length of your anagen
phase determines the maximum length of your hair. So, the longer
your anagen phase, the longer your hair will grow.
Phase 2 – Catagen
- Hair stops growing
The catagen phase only lasts for one to two weeks. It is the
transitional or regressive phase. Essentially, it is when the
hair stops growing. During this period, the hair follicle shrinks
and part of it starts to die.
Phase 3 – Telogen - Resting phase
The telogen phase is the final resting stage, or ‘off’
phase.
When the old hair is in this phase, the hair follicle becomes
active again and a new hair in the anagen phase develops, forcing
the old telogen hair out. This is when you might notice hairs
in the bath or in your brush or comb.
At any one time, around 90% of most people's hair follicles
are in the ‘growing’ anagen phase and approximately
10% are in the ‘resting’, or telogen, phase.
In the case of common baldness, male pattern
baldness, or what is commonly called hereditary hair loss, genes
and hormones cause the miniaturisation or 'shrinking' of the
hair follicles. This results in a shorter Anagen phase and a
particularly long Telogen phase so the hairs then become short
and thin. They are soon barely visible to the naked eye and
eventually the hair follicles shut down completely.
Treatment
Contrary to popular belief, you don't necessarily
have to accept hair loss. Some people, particularly later in
life, are happy to wake up to a receding hairline. But if you're
not ready to wave bye bye to your barnet, there is another way!
Regaine is clinically proven to treat hereditary hair loss.
It's easy to use and has been proven to help prevent further
hair loss for 4 out of 5 men. It works by increasing the blood
supply to the hair follicle, helping to strengthen existing
hair and stimulate secondary hair growth.
Propecia is another clinically proven treatment - an oral tablet
which is only available with a doctor's prescription. It prevents
the body converting the hormone testosterone into a stronger form
called DHT (dihydrotestosterone) that can cause hair loss.
What is Regaine?
Regaine is the only over-the-counter treatment
in the UK that has been clinically proven to help prevent further
hereditary hair loss, showing success in 4 out of 5 men. For
some people it even reverses the process, resulting in regrowth.
The solution, containing the active ingredient Minoxidil, should
be applied to the scalp twice a day to help kick start your
follicles.
What is Minoxidil?
Minoxidil, the active ingredient in Regaine®, has been
extensively researched and tested for its effectiveness in
treating hereditary hair loss. Scientists believe it works
by helping the blood flow to the hair follicle, stimulating
and prolonging hair growth. It has been shown to help prevent
further hair loss in 4 out of 5 men and help stimulate regrowth
for a thicker, fuller head of hair.
What does 'clinically proven' mean?
Pharmaceutical products undergo extensive clinical trials
before reaching the market. These trials establish the effectiveness
and safety of the product and are closely controlled to ensure
the results are valid.
In clinical trials, Regaine was shown to help prevent further
hair loss in 4 out of 5 men. Regaine Extra Strength produced
regrowth in 3 out of 5 men in 48 weeks, with some seeing results
in as little as 2 months.
How it works
Regaine works by increasing the supply of blood and nutrients
to your hair follicles, helping to strengthen existing hair
and stimulate secondary growth. This process produces thicker,
longer, more-visible hair.
It contains the active ingredient Minoxidil which has been
shown to help prevent further hair loss in 4 out of 5 men
and stimulate regrowth without affecting male hormones. Because
it has limited side effects and has a good safety record,
you can buy Regaine without needing a prescription.
Just as you didn't lose your hair overnight, nor will it
return by tomorrow morning. Hair growth is a slow process,
but as our results show, Regaine is effective if you follow
the instructions and keep up the treatments.
What is Propecia?
Propecia is the only licensed prescription-only medicine for
hair loss, containing finasteride 1mg per tablet. In clinical
trials, 9 out of 10 men who took
Propecia found an improvement
in their hair loss; either a halting of their existing hair loss
or regrowth of new hair.
Propecia needs to be taken once daily
and typically takes at least 3 months before you would be expected
to see visible results.
Propecia is only available for men.
What is Finasteride?
In the body, increased levels of the hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone)
can lead to miniaturisation of the scalp hair follicles, and therefore
hair loss. Finasteride works by inhibiting the enzyme which converts
the hormone testosterone into DHT. It has been shown that men who have an
inherited deficiency of this enzyme do not experience male pattern hair loss
- finasteride works by inhibiting this enzyme. This in turn stops the process
which causes the miniaturisation of the scalp hair follicles, which ultimately
can lead to a reversal of the balding process.
Further clinical trials showed that finasteride also works in a second
way, by helping hair follicles to convert from the inactive phase to the
actively growing phase.
Propecia is a once-daily oral tablet containing finasteride 1mg per tablet
and needs to be taken regularly for the best chance of success. It can take at
least 3 months before visible results would be expected, and Propecia needs to
be continued for any improvements to be maintained. If you stop taking Propecia
then the original rate of hair loss would be expected to return within 9 to
12 months
Products
Regaine Extra Strength
Regaine Extra Strength contains a 5% concentration of the
active ingredient Minoxidil. It has been specifically designed
for men who want fast results when compared to Regaine Regular
Strength and is more suitable for men looking for regrowth.
· Regaine Extra Strength works for 4 out of 5 men
to help prevent further hair loss
· It has been shown to re-grow some hair in 3 out of
5 men
· Results may become noticeable in just eight weeks
· In clinical trials, men experienced 20% more regrowth
than those using Regular Strength
· Regaine Extra Strength is available without a prescription.
Click here for Regaine Extra Strength
Regaine Regular Strength
Regaine Regular Strength contains a 2% concentration of the
active ingredient Minoxidil and is more suitable for men wanting
to hang on to the locks they still have.
· Regaine Regular Strength is proven to help prevent
further hair loss for 4 out of 5 men
· It has been shown to re-grow some hair for 2 out
of 5 users after 48 weeks
· Results may be seen in as little as 16 weeks
· Regaine Regular Strength is available without a prescription.
Click Here for Regaine Regular Strength
Regaine contains minoxidil. Always read the label and follow instructions for the best
results.
Propecia
Propecia tablets contain finasteride 1mg per tablet. They are only
available with a doctor's prescription and only for use in men. They are
convenient to use, as a once-daily oral tablet.
· Propecia has been shown in trials to prevent further hair loss or promote new
hair growth in 9 out of 10 men
· It can take at least 3 months for any visible results to be noticeable
· Propecia and Regaine can be used at the same time if necessary, as they work
in different ways
Click here for Propecia