Hair Loss

What Is Hair Loss and How Can It Be Prevented?

Hair loss refers to the loss of an excessive amount of hair from your scalp to the point where it’s either very thin, bald patches appear, or your hairline begins to recede (from a loss of hair at the front). Everyone loses hair on a daily basis, with the average being between 50 and 100 hairs per day. However, this can sometimes be accelerated, to the point where you’re losing hair faster than new ones can grow, or new ones aren’t growing at all to replace the ones you’ve lost.

This isn’t a serious medical condition in and of itself. It is a natural process in the body that causes no other problems, but it can be upsetting. It can make people feel self-conscious, especially men, and as a result, many men prefer to treat their hair loss rather than let it progress at its natural rate.

What are the causes of hair loss?

Male pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in men. This is a hereditary and very common condition that affects 6.5 million men in the United Kingdom alone. It gets its name from the fact that hair loss in men tends to follow a similar pattern, with the top and front of the scalp losing the most hair.

Although an inherited condition is the most common cause, alopecia areata, which causes hair to fall out in an irregular pattern, leaving sparse bald patches, can also cause hair loss. Hair loss occurs when a man’s hair follicles are overly sensitive to a male sex hormone, regardless of the cause. Male pattern baldness is caused by men having more hormone receptors, which weakens their hair follicles, causing them to shrink and eventually stop growing hair.

Excessive hair loss can also be caused by other underlying medical conditions or as a side effect of other prescription medications. As a result, before beginning treatment, make sure it’s not due to anything else.

What are my options for dealing with hair loss?

While there is no cure for male pattern baldness, there are medications that have been shown to slow the rate of hair loss and even encourage hair follicles to regrow hair.

Finasteride is one option. It works by lowering the levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that harms follicles. This medication, when taken every day, prevents the hair follicle from thinning and slows the effects of hair loss. It also works to promote hair growth in 86 percent of people who take it on a daily basis.

Minoxidil is another option, and it works particularly well for people who are experiencing hair thinning. It improves blood flow to hair follicles and increases follicular size, extending the hair follicle’s growth phase. This promotes hair growth and the appearance of thicker hair strands.

Both of these medications have been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of male pattern baldness and other forms of hair loss, and they are available from UK Meds in a safe and efficient manner.