Understanding Male Hair Loss

In many families, balding has become almost an expectedoccurrence as a man ages. Even though these men are expectingmale hair loss, they don't escape the emotional turmoil thatthis condition often causes.The medical term for genetic male hair loss is "androgeneticalopecia". For most men, the technical term falls far short ofdescribing the condition. Understanding the cause of hair lossdoesn't guarantee cheerful acceptance, but it can go a long wayin helping the victim to cope.The cause of male hair loss in the vast majority of men isgenetic, or a trait inherited from one's parents. Basically, ifone's family is genetically predisposed to male hair loss, thehormones that developed masculine traits during puberty willbegin working against oneself at some point, causing hair tothin and fall out. A certain gene causes the hair follicles tochange after puberty, although hair loss may occur until muchlater. As a man matures, a form of testosterone called DHTbegins to rise, and the already affected hair follicles tofunction less effectively. The hormone imbalance caused by theDHT causes the hair follicle to work less and less, causing thehair that grows there to grow thinner and eventually die andfall out.This process is called "androgenetic alopecia" by the medicalestablishment, but many men have much more colorful names forit. Of course, anyone watching late night television knows thatthere are many hair loss remedies marketed to men and oftenwomen. Some medical treatments include the FDA approved Rogaineand Propecia, retail names for the drugs minoxidil andfinesteride, respectively. Many companies market hair thickenersand gels, designed to help the hair remaining look thicker, butnot providing a solution to the underlying problem.Of course, there are many "natural" and herbal treatments thatclaim to regrow hair, some more effective than others. Billionsof dollars are spent each year on these treatments. Many menchoose hair replacement, plugs or reseeding and some even try atoupee.Understanding male genetic hair loss is necessarily the firststep to searching for a hair loss remedy or even one'sacceptance of baldness. The ultimate goal in either situation isto eliminate male hair loss as a cause of one's emotionalstress.