Frequently Asked Questions About Hair Care Products

Alopecia is a medical term used for baldness that most commonly occurs in men. It is an enhanced hair loss that is usually related to the dysfunction of the endocrine system or hormones production. Around 25% of cases of hair loss are due to genetic factors. Sometimes it can develop as a result of Down syndrome, chronic insufficiency of the adrenal cortex, or vitiligo.

The causes of baldness are:
– Infectious diseases. Acute and chronic diseases can have a serious impact on all body systems. This can lead to the weakening of the hair roots. The most frequent types of infections that cause it are fungal infections of the scalp;
– Hormonal imbalance. It can cause a negative impact on the hair bed but if the disease is on the early stage, it is potential to slow down the hair loss significantly. But it’s almost impossible to cure this type of baldness. The most significant hormonal imbalance that induces alopecia in men is the excessive amount of biologically active form of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone. It induces the increased production of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme and these two substances together promote the occurrence of pattern alopecia;
– Vitamins deficiency. In a diet of modern men, there are no sufficient nutrients. Even if you follow a healthy eating plan but stick to the same products every day you can develop a certain vitamin deficiency. But the risk is even higher when a man doesn’t eat properly, opts for junk food and eats on the go;
– Stress. In the moment of nervous tension, a spasm of vessels occurs. Because of this, the feeding of the follicles is disturbed, which ultimately leads to their death. But baldness does not begin during the period of maximum stress but three-six months after;
– Injuries. Cessation of hair growth is sometimes related to the presence of deep scars left by burns, wounds, and inflammations. These injuries are able to completely stop the production of new hair growth. In this scenario, any therapy is futile except for the hair transplant procedure;
– Use of medicines. Certain medicines can cause baldness. They include steroids, antidepressants, and hormonal drugs;
– Endocrine disorders. Any problems with the thyroid gland can affect the development of nesting alopecia. It is characterized by partial loss of hair in random areas of the head with the subsequent formation of bald spots;
To identify the reason of alopecia onset, it is important to go to a trichologist timely. Based on the examination results, the specialist will make an accurate diagnosis, establish the stage of the disease and prescribe suitable therapy.

It is a typical type of alopecia in men that is diagnosed in 95% of men who complain about hair loss. It is a type of baldness that is induced both by the genetic predisposition and hormones.
The name of this type of hair loss is due to its typical pattern development. There are three most common patterns:
– Horseshoe: alopecia appears in the forehead and then spreads all over the frontoparietal region, creating a bald spot surrounded by hair that resembles a horseshoe;
– Nest: the spots of hair loss occur chaotically in the various zones and at the crown, a spot looking like a nest develops. Eventually, this pattern of hair loss also is transformed into a horseshoe type;
– Mixed pattern: the hair falling occurs at the same time at the temples and crown.

When talking about the hair loss caused by vitamins deficiency or due to stress, it is probable to resume active growth. But when speaking about the men’s pattern baldness with a genetic cause, when the hairs become thinner and thinner and stop growing at all, unfortunately, there is no cure for this baldness but it can be managed with medications or hair transplant.

The first symptoms are the thinning of the hair, their shortening. Then their structure is changed and they start looking like fluff, and after some time entirely fade.

The men’s pattern baldness has several stages.

To determine the exact stage, the scale can be used.

Stages Description:
– The first is accompanied by a slight thinning of the hair. The hair growth decreases in the forehead and temples where two small bald patches appear;
– The second stage is characterized by the aggravation of the first. The bald spots become larger and already cover the parietal zone;
– The third stage is distinguished by the side of the temples and the head-on part, noticeable bald patches. They are partially covered with scant hair remnants;
– The fourth stage is the hair loss spreading to the top. This stage is diagnosed mainly among elderly men;
– The fifth line of hair between the formed areas of baldness becomes scarce. On the crown, there is practically no hair growth at all. However, on the border with the crown and the frontal part, there is still a dense rim of hair. The thinning area gradually acquires an arched shape;
– The sixth stage is characterized with thick hair separating of the crown from the frontal-temporal zone is gradually erased. A continuous bald spot is formed, and the process itself moves to the occipital and lateral parts of the head;
– The seventh stage is when complete baldness occurs in men, the only hairline is an arc from one ear to the other.

When talking about male pattern hair loss, there are two major types of treatment:
– Use of medications. It is made with such medicines like Finpecia (Finasteride) by Cipla. The treatment is made with the courses. The first results are seen in 6-10 months. In this time, hair loss can completely stop and the lost hair growths back. Such medications suppress the conversion of testosterone into an active form that causes hormonal hair loss. It is preferable to start the therapy with the first signs of baldness because it is the best for preventing bald spots formation that the restoration of the growth. The spots that have been bald for more than 6 months can be irresponsive to the therapy. Besides, hair growth and hair loss after the cessation of the therapy little by little get to the initial stage. It means that for the optimal results, the pills must be taken for continuous courses with small breaks between them. Along with the use of medicines, injections, mesotherapy, masks, and massages are used;
– Hair transplant. It is one of the most efficient types of therapy that implies hair transplantation from the areas not impacted by alopecia to the bald spots. There are different methods of hair transplant. Some of them leave scars, headaches, and do not provide the wished hair density. For instance, the normal hair density is a hundred hairs per one square centimeter while the old-technology hair transplants offer a density of 30-40 hairs per one centimeter of the scalp. The modern non-invasive procedures offer higher hair density and lack of serious side effects but they cost quite a lot of money.

There is no way you can prevent baldness if you are genetically predisposed to it. However, the speed of hair loss can be diminished. The following preventive and hair care tips are recommended:
– Care should be taken of the hair, wash it with a high quality sulfate-free soft shampoo, massage the scalp regularly;
– Make sure to maintain a healthy diet, get checked every year and take the supplements required when advised by your doctor;
– Reduce stress or find ways to cope with such as do sports, meditate, find hobbies that can calm you down and distract from negativity;
– In the first signs of hair thinning, go to a doctor specializing in hair health called trichologist. Get checked and if the tests show that your problem is due to dihydrotestosterone, you can buy medicines such as Finasteride to stop the hair loss and prevent hair follicles from dying. But please talk to a specialist to be sure that this medication is suitable and safe for you.