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Male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, affects up to 40% of all men under the age of 40, and up to 80% of all men over the age of 55. Men cope with this loss of their hair in a number of ways. Many men simply accept the fact that they are losing hair. It is, after all, a common sign of aging. They don't try to hide it, and they don't complain about it.
Some men not only accept the loss of their hair, but embrace it by completely shaving their hair off and "going bald" at an age earlier than if they waited for their hair to fall out naturally. This completely bald look is considered quite attractive by some women. - More commonly, men fight their hair loss, at least in the beginning stages. First, they might deny that they are even losing hair. Then, when they can't deny it any longer, they start to try to hide the hair loss, by wearing hats, combing their hair in such a way that the bald spots are hidden, or even resorting to wearing a toupee. Some men try to dye their hair, hoping that if the remaining hair is colored, it might look more voluminous. Others let the hair they do have grow long, sometimes gathering it up into a ponytail in the back.
- Another way men cope with hair loss is to try to treat or halt the loss. Some men might try unconventional methods to stop hair loss, such as acupuncture, herbs, or even new sleeping positions. Other men may use popular products such as Rogaine, which claims to stop hair loss in the beginning stages. Men might also join a group such as the Hair Club for Men, which claims to provide not only hair replacement, but also restoration, and even hair transplants. Prices for these services range from $250 to over a thousand dollars. Some men go straight for the surgical option of having hair taken from other parts of their body and "plugged" into their scalp. The success of such treatments as mentioned above varies widely.
