One of the biggest cosmetic concerns amongst men is hair loss. While not all men will have to deal with a receding hair line or pattern baldness, some men may start to face this problem as young as adolescence. While some women battle hair loss or hair thinning, it’s extremely rare. This is primarily a male concern.
It’d be great if there were something you could do to combat this issue. However, the unfortunate truth is that male hair loss isn’t caused by anything behavioral. Rather, it’s entirely genetic. It’s passed down to men through their mothers; so, if a man and a woman have a son and the man has no history of hair loss but the woman’s father had hair loss, their son would still have a high chance of losing his hair.
While there’s nothing you can do to prevent genetic hair loss, there are steps that you can take to reverse its effects. In fact, there are a myriad of options, some more expensive and effective than others. To help you combat your hair loss, here are some options for reversing and repairing it.
While there’s nothing you can do to prevent genetic hair loss, there are steps that you can take to reverse its effects [tweet this]
Anti-Thinning Shampoos
The market is full of shampoos that claim to fight hair thinning. Some work to make hair appear instantly thicker, while others claim that they can actually prevent future hair loss.
The Pros: There isn’t much of an investment when it comes to using anti-thinning shampoos. Many are available at the drugstore for very low prices. Since you’re washing your hair anyways, it’s not a huge change to your routine. You’re just swapping in a new product for whatever you used before.
The Cons: Don’t expect miracles. If men could repair hair loss with something simple as a shampoo, there wouldn’t be any bald or balding men in the world. While you might experience some thickening effects, they’ll be temporary. You can’t get permanent results from a shampoo.
Minoxidil
Your father probably used Rogaine or another Minoxidil-based treatment. While these treatments can’t cause new hair growth, some report experiencing lessened additional hair loss.
The Pros: While costlier than anti-thinning shampoos, Minoxidil-based products will hardly break the bank. Some studies have shown that they can prevent further hair loss in men with a genetic propensity for it. However, it’s worth reiterating that they won’t grow additional hair. Don’t expect miracles.
The Cons: While studies have shown some positive benefits from using these treatments, no one has ever completely reversed their hair loss by using them. They’re not terrible products to prevent additional hair loss, but if you’re unhappy with your hair loss, you might be disappointed by their minimal effects.
Propecia
Propecia is the other popular topical anti-hair loss treatment. It’s generally used in addition to Minoxidil, as a first step to boost the Minoxidil’s effects. While Minoxidil is a topical treatment, Propecia is a pill that’s taken orally.
The Pros: Propecia has been shown to block androgen dihydrotestosterone, a male hormone that can cause hair loss. While it won’t help you to grow back hair that you’ve already lost, it can work in conjunction with Minoxidil to prevent further hair loss.
The Cons: A lot of men actively avoid Propecia and for good reason. In some patients, Propecia can kill libido and cause impotency. A good head of hair certainly isn’t worth that dire of a consequence.
At-Home Laser Combs
Yes, you read that correctly. Laser combs. By using these gadgets for just fifteen minutes a day, you can stimulate blood flow to your scalp. This will prevent the loss of the hair you currently have, in addition to supposedly encouraging new hair growth.
The Pros: These gadgets are a pricy investment, but they’re a one-time purchase, as opposed to treatments, serums and shampoos that you must continuously repurchase. Plus, unlike many chemical options, lasers have no known side effects.
The Cons: This is a very new technology that hasn’t been proven effective. While some men report no further hair loss, very few users experience new hair growth. Growing new hair in men with genetic baldness is a near impossible task. Unfortunately, these at-home laser combs don’t seem to accomplish this difficult task.
Hair Transplants
As you might have already figured out by now, it’s just about impossible to grow new hair if you’re experiencing genetic hair loss. That is, it’s impossible to do it with a simple product or any at-home treatment. Replacing hair that you’ve already lost requires more drastic measures. Hair transplants entail a cosmetic surgeon literally putting hair follicles back into areas where you’ve lost hair.
The Pros: Hair transplants – or hair grafts, as they’re referred to clinically – have an 80% regrowth rate. As in, you can shave your head and they’ll still grow back. If you want to permanently replace the hair that you’ve already lost, this is one of the few ways to actually do it.
The Cons: This is not an inexpensive procedure by any way, shape or form. On average, a single hair graft costs about seven dollars. That sounds like a downright steal, but the average man will require about 1500 to 2000 of them for their procedure. If you do the math, you’ll see that this is an incredibly costly procedure. Furthermore, while the average patient will experience great new growth, in a small percentage of patients, the grafts simply do not take and fall out all over again.
Cellular Therapy
You’ve probably heard of all of the options on this list up until now. Cellular therapy is an extremely new form of anti-hair loss treatment. Cellular therapy entails a specialist removing cells from your blood and applying them to your scalp. Essentially, these cells help your hair to regenerate and encourage new hair to grow.
The Pros: It’s a clinical procedure, but it’s a lot less involved than hair transplants. This method has been used in other medical procedures for years. It can also be used in conjunction with a hair graft to boost the effects of the transplant procedure.
The Cons: Like hair transplants, it’s costly, with procedures averaging in the thousands. Beyond that, it’s still a very new method of treating hair loss and the long term effects aren’t well known yet. You might be wise to keep your eyes out for clinical trials happening in your area.
Shave It Off
It’s an option as good as any. If you choose to just bid adieu to your hair once and for all, no one will be able to tell whether or not you did it by choice or necessity. All you need for this one is a pair of clippers or an appointment with your barber.
The Pros: If you’ve been agonizing over your hair loss, it can be incredibly liberating to just call it quits once and for all. If you choose to shave it off, you can toss your special shampoo, Minoxidil, laser comb and Propecia in the trashcan.
The Cons: Going bald isn’t going to be for everyone. In fact, some men might find that it doesn’t look quite right on them. Plus, for men experiencing hair loss, it can be a permanent commitment. There’s a chance that your hair could grow back patchy if you ever decide that bald is no longer for you.
A Wide Array Of Options For A Frustrating Problem
Hair loss is one of the most frustrating issues that men face. As you can see, there’s no simple resolution for hair loss. The inexpensive options might not cost you much, but they won’t be very effective. The effective options might give you the results you want, but they’ll set you back a pretty penny.
Ultimately, you have to decide which treatment option is best for you. If your hair is crucial to you, then a more drastic option like a hair graft might be in order. If hair loss is hardly the bane of your existence, then just play around with anti-thinning shampoos and OTC treatments. Hair loss can be frustrating, but there are options. You just have to decide which one, if any, is right for you.
