Advent Hair Blog

Male Pattern Baldness Part 2: What can you do about it?

Written by Jeff Waite | Oct 30, 2016 1:00:00 PM

A couple of weeks ago we talked about male pattern baldness, what it is and what causes it. But a key point was missing in that article: how to prevent, stop, and deal with male pattern baldness.

Let’s start with how to prevent male pattern baldness, shall we?

Prevention

Let’s clarify something right out of the gate: preventing male pattern baldness is hard, really really hard. Due to male pattern baldness being directly linked to your genetic heritage, there’s no such thing as a surefire way to prevent it, if your father and grandparents are bald, chances are you’ll eventually be bald too.

Now, the key takeaway from that last sentence in “chances are”. Just because some members of your family are bald, It doesn’t automatically mean that you will be bald.

We know whatyou might be thinking: “Why make a section called “prevention” if it’s impossible to prevent?”. Well, that’s the thing, it’s not impossible to prevent.

While yes, there are no guaranteed methods of stopping it before it starts, there are some things that you can do to diminish the chances of male pattern baldness ever appearing.

The first and most important thing you need to do is to relax. We mean it, stress has been identified in several studies as being the biggest factor when it comes to male pattern baldness.  So try to manage the amount of high-stress situations you put yourself into, in both your personal life and your professional life.

The second part of the equation is to live a healthier life. Avoid smoking, eat healthy, follow a training routine, and the chances of losing your hair to male pattern baldness go down by a very considerable percentage.


Dealing with male pattern baldness

Let’s way you already lost some or all of your hair to male pattern baldness. Are you supposed to accept the hand genetics dealt to you? Or is there anything at all that you can do about it?

Absolutely yes.

In fact, there are three main roads you could take to stop and deal with your case of male pattern baldness. Let’s break all of three of them down:

1.Medication: The first solution is with the help of medications, more specifically two medications called Minoxidil and Finasteride.

Minoxidil is a topical medication that is applied directly to the scalp. This medication has been proven to slow down hair loss in some men, while also stimulating the inactive hair follicles to grow new hair again.

But as with any medication, there are some associated downsides and unwanted side effects such as:

  • Takes in between 4 months and up to one full year to show any visible results.
  • Hair loss takes place again as soon as the medication is stopped.
  • Has been known to cause side effects such as weight gain, chest pain, and labored respiration among many others.

 

Finasteride on the other hand, is an oral medication that has been shown to slow down hair loss in some men. It has a higher success rate than Minoxidil and it works by preventing the production of the hormone responsible for hair loss in men (the name “androgens” rings a bell? it should).

Finasteride’s downsides and side effects include:

  • Takes in between 3 months and up to one full year to show any visible results.
  • Hair loss takes place again as soon as the medication is stopped.
  • Has been known to cause side effects such as depression, itching, and rashes respiration among many others.

 

2.Hair Transplants: A hair transplant works by relocating hairs from areas of the scalp with active hair growth to areas of the scalp with evident thinning or balding. More often than not, multiple transplants are necessary in order to achieve the desired look, and because each strand of hair needs to be moved individually, it is usually the most expensive and intrusive solution to male pattern baldness.

When it’s all said and done, a hair transplant when done right can look incredibly right, and it is a permanent solution, but the procedure does carry a relatively high risk of scarring and infection with it.

 

3.Hair Replacement: Now, we know the ideal solution to male balding pattern would be to get your natural hair back, but unfortunately that just no possible in some cases. That’s where hairpieces and hair systems come into play.

Custom hair pieces for men are incredibly customizable when bought from the right place, and they offer the most discreet and natural looking solution to hair loss around. When a hairpiece is made out of the correct materials, with a good process, the exact measurements and by a serious provider, they are next to impossible to tell apart from natural hair.

Custom hair systems look and feel natural, but they can also be made to match your natural hair color and texture. After that, it only takes a quick trip to your professional hairstylist of preference and you’ll be rocking your hairstyle again in no time.

And not only are hairpieces immediate, they have zero side effects, risks of infection or scarring, and are way cheaper than getting a transplant.

 

Male pattern baldness is a natural thing and most men have to go through it, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for that! Feel free to give our custom hairpieces for men a look, and don’t doubt to give us a call at 1-800-756-8585, we’ll be more than happy to help you with any questions or problems you might have.