Balding or hair loss in men

Balding or hair loss in both men and women is sometimes due to disease. Hair loss can occur with excessive weight gain or loss in a short period of time or when recovering from a high fever. Hair loss may occur when taking anti-cancer medications. Anemia due to lack of iron, can cause some hair loss. Hair loss can result from an over-or under-productive thyroid gland.

In general, though, most cases of hair loss are not due to an illness or a medical condition. Male pattern baldness affects over 20 million men in the United States. One in four men begins to go bald by age thirty. By age sixty, 2 out of 3 men are bald.

Women can get male pattern baldness, too, but it is not as common. This runs in families and usually comes from the mother's side of the family. If you are a man and want to know if you are likely to go bald, look at your mother's father to get your best guess. Hair has a limited life span. The normal growing phase of a hair follicle can last up to 5 years before the hair is dislodged by new hair growth. In male pattern baldness, when a hair falls out, a new one does not start to grow. This usually happens above the forehead, giving the familiar receding hairline look. It also happens at the crown of the head. Over time, the bald spots increase in size until the entire top of the head is bald and there is only hair on the sides of the head.

There are 2 medications approved to treat balding. The first is minoxidil, which is applied directly to the scalp. It helps slow the balding in most men. In about 10 percent of men, it makes a dramatic difference and starts new hair growth. It may work best in men in their twenties and thirties who are just beginning to bald. It may take as long as a year to find out how well this medication works. The ongoing treatments can be expensive and if treatment is stopped, hair loss will begin again. The second medication is finasteride, which is taken orally. Finasteride blocks the action of a form of testosterone that appears to cause hair loss. It stops hair loss in over 80 percent of men, and starts new hair growth in about 50 percent. It may take up to a year to see results. Hair growth stops and balding resumes if the finasteride is discontinued.

Other medical options are the punch graft hair transfer, which takes little tufts of hair from the back of the head and moves them to the front or top of the scalp. Scalp reduction is a surgical approach where the surgeon actually moves the back of the scalp up to the crown of the head. The most popular non-medical option is a hairpiece.

With advancing age, hair naturally becomes finer and shorter. As hair thins, it becomes flatter and oilier. Excessive oil clogs pores and causes malnutrition of the hair root. This can perpetuate hair loss. Most healthcare providers agree that if you have an oily scalp with thinning hair, frequent shampooing is advised.

If you have sudden hair loss, especially if you notice lots of hair on your pillow when you get up in the morning, contact your primary healthcare provider for a checkup. Health insurance does not usually cover most treatments for baldness.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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