Alopecia

Alopecia causes most hair loss in men

The condition has a complex medical name: "androgenetic alopecia." Most people know it by the more common term, male pattern baldness.

Alopecia caused more than 95 percent of hair loss in men, according to the American Hair Loss Association. Two-thirds of American men find they're starting to lose some hair by age 35. By age 50, some 85 percent of men show detectable thair hinning  Nearly a quarter of all men start to lose their hair from it before age 21.

Surprisingly, although it's called "male pattern baldness," it can affect both men and women. Medical experts say this kind of alopecia is most likely genetic, inherited from mother or father. A person with this type of alopecia is sensitive to the effects of a hormone called DHT, or dihydrotestosterone. Researchers estimate that DHT shortens the growth phase of the hair cycle, causing the follicles to shrink, which leads to finer hair. An enzyme called 5-alpha reductase regulates the body's production of DHT production, which is found in several tissues of the body, including the scalp.

Hair loss of this magnitude can affect every aspect of a sufferer's life. Some men have changed careers or lost relationships because of it. That's why it's important to get the facts when faced with this condition and possible treatments.

The term "alopecia" can mean any type of hair loss anywhere on the body that hair grows. The term "baldness" to most people means hair loss on the scalp, but there are actually many types of this condition. For instance, in contrast to male pattern baldness, there's a condition "alopecia areata," which means "hair loss in areas." In some cases it can result from medical treatment, especially chemotherapy to treat cancer.

This type of hair loss is diagnosed by analyzing the pattern and appearance of it , and by completing a medical history that includes information on any family hair loss. A dermatologist can examine the scalp under magnification with a device called a densitometer, to assess how much the hair follicles have thinned and declined. This kind of examination is crucial to deciding the right treatment.

Currently there are only two approved medications in the United States for treating this condition. These are Finasteride, which works by preventing testosterone from converting to the DHT, and Minoxidil, an over-the-counter lotion available without prescription that will retard the balding process and some hair regrowth. Drawbacks to both drugs are that they take about four months to start showing results, and stopping the drugs will cause the balding process to resume. In addition, Finasteride has been found to lower sex drive in about 1 of every 50 men who take it.