Male pattern baldness (MPB) is a common condition that affects at least 80 per cent of all men by the time they reach the age of 50. It usually occurs in a predictable pattern, and if caught early enough it is possible to prevent further hair loss, or even reverse it. Here’s a look at how to spot the early signs and how to treat it.
The Early Signs of Hair Loss
Thinning at the temples
Typically, MPB begins with thinning or receding hair around the temples. As the hairline recedes, it creates a V-shaped pattern that is sometimes referred to as a widow’s peak. Eventually, the entire hairline may begin to recede so that a larger area of forehead is exposed.
Thinning at the crown
MPB can also cause thinning of the crown at the top of the head. In some cases the scalp may become visible as the hair becomes finer and sparser. This may happen gradually, with the individual perhaps noticing more hairs coming out on the comb or collecting in the shower drain.
Changes in texture
The remaining hair may become finer and weaker, and new hair growth may be fuzzy and sparse.
How can MBP be treated?
There are treatments available, including Propecia, an oral treatment that can be bought online more cheaply under the trade name finasteride. It works by suppressing the hormones that cause the hair follicles to stop functioning properly, and is most effective when used in the early stages of hair loss.
Another over-the-counter treatment is minoxidil (Regaine) which is a foam that is applied directly to the scalp. It increases the blood flow to the hair follicles, helping to stimulate regrowth.
The future of MPB treatments
Last year, a groundbreaking study was published that opened the way for experimental cell therapy as a method reversing baldness. Central to the paper is the recent discovery that the
balding process begins when certain skin cells known as dermal papillae are lost from the base of the hair follicles.
These follicles regulate the hair growth, thickness and texture. However, for men with MPB, the skin cells can be killed because of a reaction to a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Previously, it was assumed that the whole hair follicle was destroyed, but now it is understood that it merely shrinks in response to the loss of the skin cells.
This process is known as miniaturisation, and scientists believe that by banking and deep freezing healthy samples of hair follicles before the onset of MPB, they can be thawed and injected back into the scalp in the future. This can help the person’s hair follicles return to their former state, and it is possible that they will regain their youthful head of hair.
The abstract of the study explains: “Male pattern hair loss (MPHL), also referred to as male androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of non-scarring progressive hair loss, with 80% of men suffering from this condition in their lifetime. In MPHL, the hair line recedes to a specific part of the scalp which cannot be accurately predicted.”
“Hair is lost from the front, vertex, and the crown, yet temporal and occipital follicles remain. The visual effect of hair loss is due to hair follicle miniaturisation, where terminal hair follicles become dimensionally smaller.”
“Miniaturisation is also characterised by a shortening of the growth phase of the hair cycle (anagen), and a prolongation of the dormant phase (kenogen). Together, these changes result in the production of thinner and shorter hair fibres, referred to as miniaturised or vellus hairs.”
“It remains unclear why miniaturisation occurs in this specific pattern, with frontal follicles being susceptible while occipital follicles remain in a terminal state. One main factor we believe to be at play, which will be discussed in this viewpoint, is the developmental origin of the skin and hair follicle dermis on different regions of the scalp.”
However, the research is still in the very early stages, and it has yet to be fully tested in clinical trials. Therefore it is likely that it will be several years at least before it’s truly possible to reverse MPB.
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