This is a Common Cause of Hair Loss Among Men

Although there is no single cause of hair loss, there is one that is very common among men. The follicles, which produce the hairs, are sensitive to a hormone called dihydrotestosterone or DHT, for short. DHT plays a role in enlargement of the prostate, as well. Referred to by doctors as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH, it is experienced by nearly all older men, at least to some degree.Male pattern baldness affects more than half of all men, by the time they reach the age of 50. It starts out slow, usually with a few extra hairs on the brush or in the tub after a shower.

BPH starts out slow, too. Growth of the prostate is believed to begin around the age of 30, although symptoms, which include frequent urination and voiding at night, do not usually appear until the age of 50. Approximately 80% of all men have symptoms by the time they reach the age of 80.You might wonder why an article about the cause of hair loss would include information about BPH. It’s simple. An extract from a medicinal plant is beneficial for both problems. Saw palmetto may help reduce or prevent BPH and has proven to be as effective as the drug finasteride (Propecia) for treating male pattern baldness.

Doctors in the US don’t prescribe it, but it is prescribed in other countries for BPH and for alopecia.Both finasteride and saw palmetto interfere with the conversion of free testosterone to DHT. 1000mg of saw palmettos per day is usually recommended. The better supplements provide magnesium, zinc and a variety of herbal extracts that are known to support the health of the hair-producing follicles. Another cause of hair loss is very common, particularly as we get older. Males and females both experience reduced circulation to the follicles, probably due to oxidation and other aging processes.

There are many treatments that claim to restore circulation to the follicles or roots, but only one has been proven effective in numerous clinical studies. That one is called Minoxidil.A solution composed of 5% Minoxidil has been shown to restore growth in over 50% of males tested. Only 2% is necessary for women. The higher concentration seems to cause more of a loss, rather than a gain in females. In other words, more is not always better and there should be no sharing.Minoxidil works to address the reduced circulation, a common cause of hair loss, by dilating the blood vessels.

The twice daily massage probably helps, too. Although, massage without the Minoxidil is only effective in about 13% of volunteers, which is the same improvement seen when using a placebo.Baldness treatments are a multi-million dollar industry in the US and everyone wants a piece of the pie. There are some good products available on the internet, but there are some bad ones, too. Some of the best treatments include both the oral saw palmetto supplement for men and the Minoxidil solution.Many sources say that the cause of hair loss is genetic, but that doesn’t mean we have to live with it.