Hair Loss

Is the bald patch visible underneath your thinning hair becoming embarrassing? Take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, two out of three men in the US develop some form of balding.

Male balding

Male balding usually follows a typical pattern of receding hairline and thinning of hair. The hair loss occurs in waves. It may begin in the early twenties and stop, only to start again after a few years. By the time you are twenty or thirty years of age, you may count yourself amongst thirty percent of men who sport bald spots. Unfortunately, this spot may gain “ground” on your scalp by the age of fifty or sixty, making you a part of the completely bald male population!

Causes of hair loss

A typical hair originates from a follicle, a cavity on the skin. It grows about an inch every couple of months for two to six years, till it falls out, only to be replaced by a new hair. At any one time, about eighty five percent of the hairs on your head are in the growing phase. Ordinarily this cycle should continue, but in some, baldness begins to occur when the follicle start to shrink over time, giving rise to shorter and finer hairs.

Ultimately, the follicle becomes so small it doesn’t produce a hair inside. Why this occurs in some and not in others is not well understood, but it has something to do with your genes, aging, local or systemic disease and the male sex hormones. The good news for the balding is that there is a possibility of new growth, as follicles remain alive.