Male Pattern Baldness – Causes, Symptoms and Hair Regrowth Treatment
By far the most common cause of male hair loss is Androgenetic Alopecia, commonly referred to as Male Pattern Baldness or MPB. Affecting an estimated 85% of men over the age of 50, Male Pattern Baldness is an inherited condition, usually the result of hormonal imbalances and results in the characteristic receding hairline and visibly thinning hair on the crown of the scalp.
Male Pattern Baldness is usually caused by an androgen, or male hormone called Dihydrotestosterone. Dihydrotestosterone is a form of Testosterone produced by the 5-alpha enzyme and has a particularly debilitating effect on hair follicles. Follicles affected by Dihydrotestosterone have a shorter growth cycle and eventually lose the ability to grow hair altogether.
As more and more hair follicles are affected by the DHT, hair loss becomes noticeable along the hairline, which eventually takes on the “M” shape characteristic of DHT hair loss. Gradually, hair on the crown of the head starts to thin, eventually joining with the receding hairline, leaving a ring of hair around the sides of the head. Some hair usually remains and continues to grow on the sides and back of the head, as hair follicles there are more resistant to DHT damage.
This is the characteristic hair loss pattern so indicative of male pattern baldness and DHT hair loss. Other causes of hair loss in men such as Alopecia Areata, Folliculitis or hair loss due to other more serious medical conditions form different hair loss patterns and cannot be mistaken for MPB.
Reducing the amount of DHT present around the hair follicles would seem to be the most logical treatment for the condition and this is exactly the tack medical science has taken. Clinical studies into the effectiveness of DHT blockers are numerous and the evidence supporting this route is numerous. The FDA has gone to far as to add one such DHT blocker, Minoxidil, to its list of approved hair regrowth ingredients.
DHT blockers are also evident in naturally occurring herbs and plants such as Saw Palmetto for example. This remarkable little berry contains fatty acids and Phytosterols which not only block the production of DHT but also prevent the worst effects of existing DHT. These properties have made the humble Saw Palmetto berry a firm favorite in the fight against male pattern baldness.
Other plant extracts such as oil extracts from Pumpkin Seeds and Nettle Root also have valuable properties as DHT blockers. Particularly in combination with Saw Palmetto, these natural DHT inhibitors provide effective ingredients in the treatment of Dihydrotestosterone induced hair loss.
Androgenetic Alopecia is a complex condition and the best remedy is a combination hair regrowth treatment. Reducing or even eliminating the creation of DHT and also providing the proper nutrients for hair follicles to thrive and have healthy growth cycles.
To be truly effective, a hair regrowth treatment should start with a proven DHT blocker such as Minoxidil and combine this with effective plant extracts such as Saw Palmetto and Pumpkin Seed Oil, to attack the condition at the root. Dihydrotestosterone. Add vital nutrients such as Vitamins and Minerals and you have an effective treatment for the worst effects of male pattern baldness.
