As with most medical issues, Male Pattern Hair Loss (MPHL), or Male Pattern Balding (MPB) can be both easy and difficult to identify depending on a lot of factors. Fortunately, the science behind hair loss has advanced quite a bit over the past century, and there are many options available to you if you are dealing with baldness or hair loss.
The first thing to note is that simply noticing individual strands of hair falling out over the course of a day is not necessarily a sign of MPHL. The human head loses up to 100 strands of hair per day on its own naturally.
That said, if you find clumps of hair coming out at once, that is indeed something you should look into asking your hair restoration specialist or general practitioner about.
The “Patterns” in Male Pattern Hair Loss
Have you noticed that most hair loss in men occurs on the top of the head? There are a couple of different patterns that occur in MPHL, but they all tend to result in the hair on the sides and back of the head remaining in place while the hair on top of the head tends to thin and then stop growing altogether.
This follows a predictable pattern in most men:
- The hair line tends to recede.
- The part in the hair tends to expand.
- Hair starts thinning on the top of the head.
- Baldness occurs on the top of the head.
Although there has been much study into the fact that this happens, there is still a lot to learn about the entire process. But scientists and doctors have narrowed it down to two primary elements.
What Causes Male Pattern Hair Loss?
Hormones are one of the main reasons hair loss occurs in men. Male Pattern Hair Loss / Male Pattern Baldness is called androgenetic alopecia in the medical community.
This means that MPHL / MPB is genetic, so if someone in your family has a tendency toward pattern hair loss, and you are a male, it can be likely that you will have the same condition at some point in your life.
It also means that doctors have learned that this loss of hair is caused by a sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone – or DHT, which is an important factor in hair growth.
MPHL causes a reaction that shortens the growth and development of hair and, eventually, restricts the health of the hair follicles on the top of the scalp.
There are other types of hair loss as well, but MPHL is the most common by far.
Treatments for Male Pattern Hair Loss
Fortunately, because MPHL is so common, it is also one of the most treatable and treated forms of hair loss.
Because MPHL leaves the hair on the sides and the back of the head largely intact, two of the most common and successful hair transplantation options are viable for most cases of pattern hair loss.
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is where a doctor removes carefully selected hair follicles from a donor site to fill in the top of the scalp. These are not hair plugs, though! That form of hair restoration has been outdated for most purposes for about 20 years now.
These are entire, healthy hair follicles that can grow your own hair in the transplanted location, leaving you with a very natural look.
The other common procedure, and one that can be used to cover larger areas at once, is Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT).
FUT is where small strips of hair follicles are removed from a donor site and placed as a unit in a new recipient location. This form of hair transplantation usually removes strips from areas near the edge of the hair line to avoid impacting your look, and to reduce scarring that might affect the donor area.
There are other procedures to stimulate growth in certain areas, such as Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), so it’s always best to ask your hair transplantation specialist what options are right for you.
I Want To Schedule A Consultation
That’s easier than you think! If you are in the Las Vegas area, you can schedule a consultation directly from Advanced Medical Hair Institute’s website, or you can call them directly to find an appointment that works for you.
Dr. Williams is one of the nation’s most respected hair restoration specialists, and has written a number of research papers that have brought hair transplantation into the 21st century. It’s important to make the right choice when looking into hair restoration, and Advanced Medical Hair Institute looks forward to being that choice for you.
