- Ninety percent of the hair on your head is growing at the same time. The other 10 percent is in a resting period for the next few months. Once that rest is over, the hair will fall out and will eventually be replaced by new follicles. This is the basic hair growth pattern for most people. However, there are some who do not experience this cycle of growth and instead suffer from conditions such as male pattern baldness.
- Male pattern baldness occurs when hair growth is stopped or considerably slowed. This happens when the follicle roots are clogged with DHT, a chemical that prevents protein from getting into those roots. Hairs eventually die and are replaced by smaller, finer hairs. Over time, the entire head will become bald. Male pattern baldness is not curable, but there are procedures to mitigate the hair loss.
- Hair restoration, also known as hair plugs, is a surgical procedure in which groups of hair follicles on one part of the head are moved into the bald area. These groups of follicles are called plugs. Surgeons are able to move hundreds of these plugs within one or two surgeries. Because the plugs come from pre-existing hair, the hairs are more likely to grow.
- Minoxidil was the first FDA-approved drug for hair treatment. It's the active ingredient in Rogaine. Minoxidil has a 33 percent chance of re-growing hair in men, mostly around the vertex and mid-scalp areas. No one knows how it works, and it doesn't treat frontal hair loss--which is where most men lose their hair.
- For men who don't have enough natural hair plugs, artificial hair has been used as a hair replacement. The surgical procedure is almost the same as with hair transplants. For those who don't prefer surgery, hairpieces have also been used. Today's modern pieces look more natural than toupees from the past. Men affix hairpieces to their natural hair or have them blended in with the scalp line. They also maintain them like real hair, washing with special shampoos and conditioners.
