When you look in the mirror, are you beginning to lose that appearance of volume in your hair? Is your hair beginning to look flat in spite of the blow dryer? Do your temple points seem to be retreating southward? And where did all this hair in my sink come from?! Sound familiar?
It could very well be the first signs of genetic hair loss that the medical community may diagnose as Male Pattern Baldness or commonly referred to as MPB. The medical term is ” androgenetic alopecia.” The term “alopecia” is simply a word for hair loss and there are in fact multiple forms of it. But for men, especially younger men in their late teens into their early twenties, it’s almost always confirmed as MPB. Why? Because it exists in either their maternal or paternal side of their family history.
What can I do when I first notice my hair loss? Well the first thing to do is not to panic. The first signs of MPB can be psychologically devastating especially to younger men and to women in general. Yes, you read that correctly, women too. DHT can be deposited in their scalp sebum as well, and their hair follicles can be potentially receptive to the hormone just like men.
The second thing to do is to get online and get meaningful objective medical information on MPB and begin your research. You want to obtain some foundational knowledge before seeing a competent doctor who specializes in treating hair loss. By doing your own research you will have an easier time digesting the feedback from your doctor and also have a preliminary idea on what questions you want to ask. Your research should encourage you to be physically examined by a qualified physician in order to be evaluated and then diagnosed for the disorder. In addition, you will see many other individuals in the online hair loss communities suffering from genetic hair loss and many of them can be of helpful support and acceptance in dealing with this dilemma.
The third step is to be examined and formally diagnosed for MPB. The good news is that there are several effective medications passed by the FDA for specifically treating hair loss, they are Rogaine (minoxidil) and Propecia (finasteride). Your hair restoration doctor can talk to you about those medications and answer any additional questions you may have. The latter, Propecia, requires a doctor’s prescription and is effective in greatly slowing and stabilizing the progression of MPB in most men. Women are advised not to take Propecia, or any other form of finasteride. Please discuss this with your doctor.
The last thing you want to do is to avoid jumping into surgery right away. Hair transplants do not cure hair loss, and should only be a last resort after careful research and consideration of the risks and benefits
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