Male Pattern Baldness: Causes, Stages, and Possible Treatments

 

If you've noticed that your hairline is starting to thin, the crown area is expanding, a new bald spot is appearing, or you're seeing more extra hair in your hairbrush, then male pattern baldness is the reason.

Almost all men have some sort of hair loss problem when they are in their 50s and it is even quite common for certain medical conditions to cause them to lose their hair and become almost bald.

But the question is how male pattern baldness occurs.

At the time of baldness, the hair follicles begin to shrink and a thin stub of hair grows out of the skin, causing patches in different areas of the scalp. There are many more reasons for baldness.

So let's go through the entire blog to solve all the queries.

What is male pattern baldness?

Male pattern baldness is considered a minor medical condition that seems to be common in every man between the ages of 30 and 50. Androgenetic is another name for male pattern baldness.

From scalp hair loss to a receding hairline on the head, baldness begins in different areas.

It begins to thin from the temples, then the hair on the top of the head begins to thin. The receding side and the bald parts come together to leave a patch in front of the head.

Hair loss is caused by changes in the normal hair growth cycle. During a normal hair growth cycle, new hair will grow within a few days of hair loss, but with baldness, the chance of new hair growing in the affected area of ​​the head is low.

What Causes Male Pattern Baldness?

There is no specific reason behind the cause of male pattern baldness, sometimes it is caused by certain medical conditions or even due to the interaction of hormones, genetics and age. Despite this, there are many more reasons for male pattern baldness, few of them are:-

Genetics

Genetics is one of the main causes of male hair loss problems. Because of this, sometimes they even start losing hair in their 20s and if someone in the family has a history of male pattern baldness or hair loss problem, it increases the chances of baldness in the individual.

Male sex hormones (androgens)

Testosterone is the male hormone that causes hair loss problems. 5 Alpha-reductase is a hormone that is basically present in hair follicles, it converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the most powerful androgen that promotes the common pattern of male pattern baldness.

Thyroid problem

A person suffering from thyroid gland goes through many hormonal changes that lead to hair growth problems like hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism which causes excessive hair fall problems.

Alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is a disorder affecting a wider area of ​​the scalp, it is a known autoimmune disorder that results in hair loss problems. It usually occurs in patchy bald spots all over the scalp.

Stress

Too much stress causes androgenic alopecia, creating a hormonal imbalance in the body that affects normal hair growth and causes hair loss.

Unhealthy lifestyle

An unhealthy lifestyle also affects hair growth and loss. We all know that hair is made up of keratin and requires some form of protein and minerals for its strength and quality, but in times of protein deficiency, it forces hair fibers into a resting phase, which stops hair growth and increases the likelihood of hair loss.

Scalp infection

Fungal infection on the scalp is also an important reason for male pattern baldness, it affects normal hair growth, resulting in thinning hair.

Who is at greater risk of male pattern baldness?

Male pattern baldness depends on genetics, hormones or the individual's age, but it usually affects mature men. In 80% of cases, genetics play a big role in baldness, especially if it is a family member from the mother's side.

Some studies even show that due to the COVID 19 pandemic, male pattern baldness is increasing because it is commonly caused by Telogen Effluvium.

How is androgenetic alopecia diagnosed?

To diagnose androgenetic alopecia, individuals must go for a scalp examination, as it helps determine the problem behind the health of the hair follicle.

There are only a few treatments available in the medical world to diagnose androgenic alopecia, namely:

Applying lotions like Minoxidil and Rogaine to the scalp is an effective treatment process to treat androgenic hair loss problems.

The latest in hair loss treatment is Redensyl, an advanced hair regrowth solution.

Oral medications are also a good choice because they reduce the production of hormones that cause hair loss. It is recommended to take drugs like Finasteride.

Despite all this, the most effective and expensive treatment to cure this condition is hair transplantation.

Stages of male pattern baldness:

In our daily life, we never feel hair loss as a big problem, even though we have no idea about how many stages we have gone through. Suddenly, over time, we start to feel that our hair is thinning day by day. So every person needs to have an idea about the stages of male pattern baldness.

Generally, there are 7 stages of male pattern baldness which are as follows:-

Stage 1: Unnoticeable thinning of hair around the temple

During this stage, the changes are imperceptible, but individuals begin to lose hair around the temple area and on the forehead, which is the first sign of male pattern baldness.

Stage 2: Thinning hair and M-shaped hairline

Stage 2 is also known as frontal baldness or thinning hair around the crown area. Now at this stage the individual will begin to notice more thinning in the temple and forehead area. In short, your temple area will become more visible and your forehead will expand, although this is also an imperceptible stage.

Stage 3: Visible balding and receding hairline into M, U and V shapes

Hair pattern baldness stage 3 is also called stage 3 Male pattern baldness peak.

At this stage, shapes such as M, U or V begin to form around the head, it spreads to the forehead and bald spots appear on the head.

Stage 4: Massive hair loss at the back of the head

At this stage, the individual started losing hair in huge amounts. Bald spots are clearly visible, the hair around the crown begins to thin, and large patches begin to form at the back of the head due to excessive hair loss.

Stage 5: Horseshoe or U-shaped hairline on top of head

Stage 5 is the most difficult to treat. At this stage, your hairline will turn into a horseshoe or U shape. The problem of baldness has become so severe at this stage that it takes some time for the treatment to have an immediate or visible effect.

Stage 6: Visible scalp and widespread bald spots

In this stage of baldness, individuals suffer from large bald spots around the head. To get rid of baldness, one needs to undergo a scalp hair reduction procedure, which reduces the bald part on the scalp and tries to bring the growing part of the hair back together. Despite this, you can go through the option of micro pigmentation and hair transplantation.

Stage 7: Hairline receded to the crown and very thin hair

At this stage, a small part of the hair remains on the side because they have lost most of their hair.

Is androgenetic alopecia permanent?

There are treatments to diagnose androgenic alopecia, but hair follicles that are already affected by this alopecia cannot regrow because they are permanently damaged.

Is male pattern baldness hereditary?

DHT Dihydrotestosterone, a male hormone, plays a huge role in male pattern baldness because it is directly linked to the androgen receptor gene, which has a major effect on androgen in the body and causes scalp baldness.

Male pattern baldness treatment:

There are many different types of hair treatments available to treat conditions such as chronic hair loss, thinning hair or patchy bald spots. A person can undergo surgical or non-surgical treatment according to their preferences.

Non-surgical treatment of male pattern baldness:

Minoxidil for treating male pattern baldness:

Another name for Minoxidil is Rogaine, it is a lotion-based medicine. Usually the surgeon suggested application twice a day and approx. for 3 to 6 months for better results. It helps to reduce hair loss which is caused by hair follicles.

Finasteride for the treatment of male pattern baldness:

Finasteride helps reduce DHT and the progression it causes in the hair follicles. It takes more than 6 months to see results.

Laser treatment for male pattern baldness:

Laser treatment helps increase blood circulation and even increases the growth of hair follicles by reducing hair loss.

PRP:

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is the most popular non-surgical option based on a deeper understanding of wound and tissue healing. When performing this hair treatment, the doctor's main goal is to implant new hair follicles into the active growth phase that leads to hair growth.

Surgical treatment of male pattern baldness:

This treatment is completely based on the condition of male pattern baldness. In this process, the surgeon extracts the hair follicles and transplants them into the bald area of ​​the scalp. It depends on the severity of the person's condition and how many follicles are needed during the transplant.

Some of the most recommended surgical procedures are:-

ARTAS 9X robotic hair transplant:

It is the most advanced and well-known robotic hair transplant technology in the world. It helps the doctor to treat the Follicular Unit (FUE) hair transplant procedure with precision and consistency that allows for maximum preservation of follicles.

FUT:

Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is a procedure that involves transplanting the patient's natural hair from the permanent zone to the back and sides of the scalp where the hair is more prone to balding in the scalp area. The whole procedure takes place with a group of 4 hairs, which are called follicular units.

Final words

Male pattern baldness is becoming more and more common these days. There are many different types of causes that cause this, but the most common reason is the lack of consumption of nutritious foods in the diet and not noticing the problems in time. We all have a habit of ignoring things but sometimes it creates or causes huge problems in our body.

Even alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking caused weekly male vertex, which is also one of the reasons for male pattern baldness.

But now you don't have to worry about it because many treatments are coming in the medical world to diagnose male pattern baldness. Despite this scalp reduction, hair transplants and micro pigmentation are the most recommended surgical procedures.

If you're still unsure or have breakouts related to male pattern baldness, don't hesitate to contact us at Musk Clinic.

At Musk, with the help of the latest hair transplant technology, we believe that hair problems like thinning hair and hair loss don't have to be permanent problems. Equipped with the latest PRP and ARTAS 9X Robotic technology, we provide comprehensive hair treatments in Ahmedabad from which you can achieve your thickest and fullest hair.

Connect with our best hair surgeon and best hair treatment in Ahmedabad, Gujarat at Musk Clinic.

We are one of the few certified clinics in Gujarat that offers completely safe hair loss treatment. For more information, contact our experts.