According to recent numbers, more than fifty per cent of UK men will experience hair loss in their lifetime. While most of this shedding is simply a symptom of aging, there are conditions that can affect men as early as their teens and can cause rapid hair loss.
The most common of these conditions is called male pattern baldness and it is estimated that as many as eight million men in the UK suffer from it. When we say suffer we do not mean that their is any pain involved. But the psychological affect of losing your hair at an early age can be quite profound.
That is why American men spend over a billion dollars each year on hair loss treatments . And while there are no current numbers for the UK, we can only assume that men spend nearly as much on average, since male pattern baldness is common in both countries.
What causes the condition? Scientists and doctors believe premature hair loss occurs because of a combination of hormones and heredity. The hormone that is thought to be primarily responsible is called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and it is generally found in much higher levels in men that suffer from male pattern baldness.
Is there any effective treatment? For men who have aggressive hair loss or have already lost most of their hair, there is probably nothing that can be done. In fact, all of the top medications clearly state that they are only to be used by men with gradual or mild hair loss.
For these men there is hope, as there are several medications have been proven to lower levels of DHT and to slow down or even stop further hair loss. The best thing to do is to contact your doctor and ask for a prescription for the medication that best suits your needs.