Reasons Why Men Go Bald

There are several reasons for baldness

There are several different reasons why a man may begin to lose his hair, and there are different degrees of hair loss as well. Healthy adults lose thousands of hair strands every day, but some men lose a lot more than that.

Normal hair loss and growth

Some hair loss is normal Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Samantha Rose Pollari

Every normal, healthy adult male or female experiences hair loss each and every day. Each strand of hair lives for about five years and then it is shed, to be replaced by a new hair shaft. Hair growth varies from person to person, with some people experiencing faster growth than others. An individual's health can also affect hair growth or hair loss.

Abnormal hair loss

Abnormal hair loss in men usually occurs during the early 20s and into the 40s. It might start very gradually, almost imperceptibly, or the loss of hair could come on relatively suddenly, leaving clumps of hair in the shower drain or hairbrush.

Diagnosing

When a man notices abnormal hair loss, he should first look at his relatives. If many of his blood relatives are bald or balding, then chances are it's due to genetics. If, however, there does not appear to be balding in the family line, a visit to a doctor should be in order to determine the reason for the hair loss.

Causes

Male pattern baldness is the genetic condition that causes general baldness in men. This occurs when the hormone testosterone changes into dihydrotestosterone. This change affects the follicle of the hair and can either stop growth altogether or slow it significantly. If the hair shaft continues to grow, it could be weakened and break off easily.

Other causes of hair loss could be due to stress, disease, side effects from medication or fungal infections.

Treatment

Some hair loss is treatable Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Lo

There is no treatment for male pattern baldness since it is a genetic condition and would require "rewiring" of the genetic code. But if baldness is caused by other reasons such as disease or fungal infection, then a doctor can prescribe antibiotics or antifungal treatments. If stress is a factor for hair loss, then determining the stress factor and reducing or eliminating it might help.

References

• Medical conditions causing hair loss
• Male pattern baldness