Dear reader, there are many types of hair loss known to science, the most common of which is androgenetic alopecia hair loss. This type of hair loss is also called hereditary, genetic, or even male pattern baldness to make it easier to understand. In addition, hair loss can be classified as traction alopecia, hair loss due to traction (mostly in women, on the right and left side of the head), diffuse hair loss (hair loss covers the entire scalp), focal (hair loss covers only a certain part of the head) There are also types such as hair loss, degenerative alopecia (hair loss due to aging), total alopecia (loss of all body hair).
In this article, I will tell you about androgenetic alopecia, which is a very common type of hair loss among men, as the title of the article suggests. First of all, I should mention that this type of hair loss is the complaint of the majority of patients who come to our clinic.
But how does androgenetic alopecia, male pattern hair loss occur, and what are its causes? Male pattern baldness is caused by our hair follicles being genetically sensitive to their own hormone dihydrotestosterone. Dihydrotestosterone hormone is an active variant of the testosterone hormone present in the male body and it is more concentrated in the forehead, mid-crown region, head area, which increases the activity of the sebaceous glands in the area where it is collected. Complaints of patients are mostly in this pattern. They note that our hair becomes more oily, hair loss intensifies. Hypersecretion of sebaceous glands occurs due to the effect of dihydrotestosterone hormone, and this hormone causes spasm in the blood vessels feeding the hair follicles, blood circulation is disturbed. As a result, hair starts to fall out.
Is it possible to treat and prevent male pattern hair loss? There are many types of treatments available, but these treatments in practice only slow down the hair loss process. It is impossible to prevent hair loss once and for all. Minoxidil and finasteride pereprates, which are actively used today, are also unable to prevent hair loss and, as we mentioned above, they only help to slow down the process.
The first signs of male pattern baldness can appear from the age of 20-30. We do not recommend surgery for patients who come to us with hair loss problems at these ages, for example, at the age of 20, if they do not have sharp hair loss boundaries. No, if the hair loss in the front part of the head is severe and causes a serious complex in this individual, the patient is given a hair transplant operation and is also informed that this hair loss may continue until the age of 40 and if hair loss occurs in the crown area in the future, the next hair transplant session may be needed.
Finally, I would like to mention that hair transplant surgery can be applied to anyone between the ages of 20 and 65. Are there exceptions? Of course there is. Thus, hair transplantation is not recommended for patients suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, goiter, and chronic skin diseases.
Dr. Araz Amirov
Member of the International Association of Dermatologists