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Hair loss is probably the one thing that causes men more anxiety than anything else in their lives. A receding hairline or the arrival of a bald patch can have a dramatic effect on men's confidence and self-image.
Hair may start to disappear from the temples and the crown of the head at any time. For a few men this process starts as early as the later teenage years, but for most it happens in their late 20s and early 30s. A little thinning of the hair may be noticeable first, followed by wider hair loss allowing more of the scalp to become visible.
Some men aren't troubled by this process at all. Others, however, suffer great emotional distress associated with a lack of self-confidence and sometimes depression.
In male pattern baldness, which tends to be inherited, the hair is usually lost at the temples and the crown. This happens because of an excess of a chemical called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which causes the hair follicles to make thinner and thinner hair until they eventually pack up completely.
Other causes of hair loss include:
If there's a reversible cause, it's normally possible to stop hair loss. For instance, if it's caused by anaemia you can stop hair loss by replenishing the body's iron stores.
A huge number of treatments have been tried to slow down and even reverse the process of male pattern hair loss - some are successful, others aren't. But many men find their hair loss slows down or stops for no apparent reason at a certain age anyway.
It's a good idea to ensure an illness isn't responsible, particularly if the hair loss is patchy rather than being in the typical male pattern distribution. Moreover, if the hair loss is accompanied by other symptoms (such as tiredness) then blood tests may be necessary.
