Thinning Hair in Men: Resisting the Future

There comes a time in the lives of many men when they suddenly begin noticing more hair coming out on their brush or comb. Or, perhaps they notice that their bath tub drain is starting to get plugged up with hair, which is something that had never happened previously. Or maybe they just see the changes when they look in the mirror and realize that their hairlines are not in the same place as they used to be, and that the hair on top of their head is not as thick as it once was. If these types of things are happening, it is a pretty good indication that male pattern baldness has begun to manifest.

Thinning hair is a relatively subtle symptom of what is happening in the hair follicles, but once it begins to happen it is a relentless, merciless process that the human body is powerless to resist. It has been estimated that approximately 40% of men under the age of 35 will show signs of androgenic alopecia, which is the technical name for male pattern baldness, and once the symptoms of this condition show up, they will continue to pursue their course of development uninterrupted unless some kind of intervention occurs.

Fortunately, where in the past there was only irreversible loss, now there is the possibility of resistance. The receding tide of thinning hair can be reversed, if action is taken with dogged determination and all deliberate speed.

When DHT Knocks, Don't Answer

The biochemical behind most hair loss is DHT, or dihydrotestosterone. This substance is manufactured from testosterone in the human body in a natural way, and as long as supplies stay at modest levels, DHT can be used by the body to help it perform certain important duties without incident. But like an unwelcome house guest who not only refuses to leave but also invites over all of his friends, DHT has a tendency to proliferate uncontrollably until there is far too much of it in the body. At this point, much as those unwelcome visitors will tend to congregate in the kitchen to clean out the refrigerator, DHT chooses to collect on the scalp in the follicles of the hair, where it is free to steal nutrients and plug up the follicles until hair can no longer break through. Thinning hair in men means that DHT is present and doing its dirty business, oblivious to the conste
ation it is causing in the men who are watching their hair gradually thin out and disappear.

Seeking Protection Against Unwanted Guests

Fortunately, DHT is not immune to attack. The over-the-counter drug minoxidil can be massaged directly into the scalp in topical solution form, where it will help prevent DHT molecules from attaching themselves to hair follicles so they cannot do their normal damage. In the area of the scalp where the hair lives, minoxidil essentially acts like a good security system, keeping unwanted house guests locked outside where they can't cause any more trouble.

Finasteride, the only prescription drug approved for use against baldness, actually attacks the problem from inside the body by blocking the biological process that leads to the creation of so much excess DHT. The enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT, called 5-alpha reductase, is like the sweet but gullible family member who always invites over those annoying house guests that no one else can stand. Finasteride helps to subvert this counterproductive activity by stealing 5-alpha reductase's biological cell phone, so it can't call up those troublesome house guests to ask them to come over in the first place.

Finally, natural supplements have been created that can obstruct the synthesis of DHT in the body, while also preventing it from attaching itself to hair follicles when it is present, and providing nutrients that will help all hair to grow thick and strong. With this potent combination of benefits, these hair loss supplements are like moving vans that will come over and pick up homeowners and all of their things and move everything and everyone to a new, beautiful place where those annoying house guests will never be able to find them again.

Choosing Your Friends Carefully

No matter what kind of treatment option is chosen to resist the receding tide of thinning hair, the best way to make a decisive difference is to start treatment early, before the thinning process has had the chance to advance too far. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and if steps are taken to halt the progress of hair loss while it is still in its early stages, it will be much easier to keep things from ever getting out of hand. Taking a remedy for hair loss while hair thinning is still in an early stage is the most proactive and intelligent thing that can be done to combat male pattern baldness. Doing this is the equivalent of avoiding the problem of the unwanted house guest right from the beginning by only making friends with the right kind of people.