Hair Loss in Men | The Ultimate Guide

Let’s get down to brass tacks. The unfortunate truth is that 85% of men will encounter some form of hair loss by the time they reach 50. It is what it is? Or is it? 

Fortunately with innovations in hair replacement, keratin fibers and more, having issues concealing hair loss can be a thing of the past.

Men’s hair loss is measured on something called the Norwood Scale. Unlike hair loss in women, men’s hair loss usually starts at the top of the forehead (commonly known as a receding hairline), and continues down the scale as hair loss spreads to the crown.

Hair loss doesn’t just affect the head. It can lead to mental challenges, career changes and even personal relationships.

Luckily, there are numerous options available to those suffering from hair loss, and we’ll be sure to go through each one in this blog!

Hair loss in men isn’t generally as simple as looking at the Norwood Scale and making a determination of what level you’re at.

Many men start to lose patches of hair on their head that doesn’t necessarily fall on the Norwood Scale. This can be diagnosed as alopecia which is a mixture of genetics and your immune system.

Unfortunately, doctors are currently unaware of the reasoning behind why your body attacks the cells in your scalp to stunt growth. Still, if you are experiencing this type of hair loss, it is a sign of something separate from Male Pattern Baldness.

Some reasons that men lose their hair are:

1. Stress
2. Certain types of medications
3. Genetics
4. Scalp Conditions
5. Health choices

One of the main reasons men can lose their hair prematurely is a shock to the system. Physical and emotional stress has been known to cause premature hair loss.

These can include a loss such as a death in the family or the end to a long-term relationship, or something like a medical event that requires surgery.

This type of hair loss is mostly temporary, so if you’re able to get the help you need to overcome those challenges, you will start to see your hair return.

Some medications can also cause you to lose your hair. The most common one here is treatment for cancer.

During chemotherapy, most patients will lose their hair because the treatment attacks rapidly growing cells. This includes the cells in your roots, so for a certain amount of time, patients will lose some or all of their hair.

Again, hair will grow back after chemotherapy treatment has finished, but many patients who have prolonged treatment schedules choose to get fitted for a wig.

Genetics play quite possibly the biggest role in determining hair loss in men. If your dad, granddad, uncles and brothers have lost or are losing their hair, chances are you’ll see it too.

Obviously, this hair isn’t going to grow back at any point without any external measures taken, which we’ll go through in the next chapter of this blog.

Some scalp conditions like psoriasis can lead to hair loss. Scalp psoriasis, similar to hair loss in general, is thought to be caused by your own immune system, although it is unclear why.

There are several treatments for this type of scalp condition, but seeing a dermatologist is your best bet to treat your specific scalp condition.

Personal health choices will also play a factor in hair loss. 

Smoking specifically is known to damage your immune system, meaning that it can cause hair loss depending on the person.

An unhealthy diet can also lead to hair loss. Your scalp needs certain vitamins and nutrients to be able to grow hair optimally.

If you’re living on a diet of junk food, these nutrients won’t make it to the scalp and can result in hair loss.

Berries, nuts and fish can promote hair growth given the vitamins they provide.

Finding out the underlying cause is the first step on the road to preventing any further hair loss.

The best thing you can do is ensure you’re as healthy as you can be before you start to explore any topical solutions or medications.

Things you can do that can prevent hair loss:

1. Exercise 3-5 times a week
2. Stay smoke free
3. Eat a balanced diet
4. Keep up good and regular hair hygiene (shampoo & conditioner)

If hair loss still occurs despite your best efforts, it might be time to look at other options.

For men with hair loss in its early stages (thinning), you may want to take a look at Strand Builder as an option for building thicker and fuller looking hair.

Strand Builder is a topical solution that shakes/sprays onto existing hair and clings to the hair fibers. 

It is made up of natural keratin fibers that match the existing hair color and make it appear fuller & thicker.

For most men in the early stages of hair loss, this type of solution will be enough to cover up any thinning areas.

Strand Builder will stay in until it is washed out with shampoo, so there’s no need to worry about going out in the rain or working out at the gym with it in!

Minoxidil is also a very popular hair growth treatment that is available over the counter.

Generally, this is for men who have a more advanced form of hair loss as opposed to some thinning areas.

Minoxidil is a topical solution that is applied to the scalp. In some cases, men also use it on their beards to promote hair growth in patchy areas.

Minoxidil is not a quick fix, however, and can take more than six months to see any results, which is why some will use Hair Building Fibers alongside Minoxidil to fill in the gaps while they wait for those results.

Laser Treatment is also an option for men with thinning hair. Also known as Low-Level Laser Therapy, these devices can either be used in a salon or bought at retail and set up in the home.

Laser therapy devices are hood devices, similar to those of a hood dryer in a typical hair salon.

The Low-Level Laser Therapy stimulates cellular activity and promotes blood flow.

Scalp Massagers are an easy, affordable, at-home remedy to improve scalp health.

Scalp massagers can improve hair growth by promoting circulation to the scalp.

They also remove any excess oils and toxins that have built up, which creates the optimal growing environment for hair.

If you’re experiencing near to total hair loss,  Hair Replacement might be the best option.

There is no “one size fits all” solution with hair replacement, and your hair stylist will choose the best option for you.

These options can include Minoxidil and/or Laser Hair Therapy, but can also stretch to semi-permanent, non surgical options where new hair is added to existing thinning hair, and permanent surgical options like Follicular Unit Extraction and Follicular Unit Transplantation.

Follicular Unit Extraction is where hair follicles are taken from a donor area and placed on thinning/balding areas.

Follicular Unit Transplantation is for more extreme cases of hair loss where multiple follicles are extracted, generally from the back of the scalp, and placed into your thinning and balding areas.

Hair replacement is likely a step you’ll want to take when you’ve exhausted the other options, such as Hair Building Fibers and Low-Level Laser Therapy.

As you can see, there are many different solutions and treatments for hair loss in men, so you shouldn’t worry that all is lost when you start noticing some thinning areas!

Starting off with a topical solution like Strand Builder will make your hair look fuller and thicker while not breaking the bank.

If you find down the road that your hair loss is spreading, you may want to look at options such as Low-Level Laser Therapy and/or Hair Replacement.