It may happen in your 20s or 40s, but when male pattern baldness strikes, it will unsettle you and shake your confidence. Below, we explore the basics you need to know about this type of hair loss in men and what you can do to fix the problem.
What is Male Pattern Baldness?
Male pattern baldness is more common than you'd think; about 50 million American men have this hereditary condition.
Thinning hair is part and parcel of aging. But depending on your genes, you might start to notice a receding hairline or a changing crown earlier than your peers, or your hair loss might look a bit more dramatic.
The Hamilton-Norwood scale will give you a good idea of how severe your male pattern baldness is.
About 5% of male hair loss is due to side effects from medication or a medical issue, so visit your GP if you're shedding hair and it doesn't feel quite natural.
What Treatments Are Available to You?
Lowering your stress levels can help, but ultimately there's not much you can do to halt the process of shrinking hair follicles and prevent male pattern baldness. You either have to get a wig or weave, own the sexy bald guy look like The Rock, break the bank for an expensive hair transplant surgery, or take one of the following routes:
Medication
There are two main FDA-approved products to treat hair loss. You can apply minoxidil foam or lotion to your scalp. It stimulates hair follicles but may take six months or more to produce results, and when you stop putting it on your head, your hair growth stops. Side effects may include a rash.
Finasteride is an oral medication that can slow your hair loss, but it too can have a host of adverse side effects like depression or low libido.
Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP)
SMP is essentially a shallow tattoo because it implants a safe pigment into your scalp giving you the shaded effect of shaven hair. Tiny dots of color match your skin color, so this type of hair restoration is perfect for any ethnicity. In addition, you can get the procedure done no matter what your age is.
SMP also works well on women as it can fill in gaps on your scalp and make your hair look fuller. And it's an option for folks with cancer or alopecia too.
Contact Precise Micro Scalps in San Bernardino, CA
The technician's expertise is the main factor you want to look for when considering scalp micropigmentation. At Precise Micro Scalps, we have a long list of happy clients and all the credentials you need to ensure a safe and successful hair transformation. Get in touch for more information about our game-changing services.