Hair Loss Men

Hair Loss Men

  • Best Results6-12 months+
  • Treatment RecoveryVariable
  • Procedure TimeVariable
  • Skin SpecialistDermatologists
  • Duration of ResultsVariable
  • AnaestheticDepends
  • Back to WorkDepends
  • Cost$-$$$$$

Hair Loss Men

Hair Loss Men affects the majority of the male population. It can start as early as the late teens to early 20s & is progressive. Early medical management with minoxidil, finasteride or dutasteride will markedly slow down the course of baldness. Microneedling combined with growth factors & PRP can improve early to moderate cases of hair loss. FUE hair transplantation can be useful for moderate to end stage baldness.

FactsFacts on Hair Loss Treatments for Men

  • The most important step is to halt progression of hair loss as soon as possible
  • Medical therapy with lotions & medications are successful in 90% of cases
  • Dermatologists also prescribe PRP injections & microneedling
  • Hair transplantation can repurpose follicular units to cover up bald areas
  • FUE or follicular unit extraction is the most popular method of transplantation
  • A dermatologist can guide you as to the correct timing of treatments & intervention
  • Androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness affects all men at some stage of their lives
  • The degree of hair loss varies individually

Hair Loss Men

Androgenic alopecia or AGA, also known as male pattern hair loss/baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in males. This affects 85% of males & can occur as early as in the teenage years. AGA is progressive & should be treated early.

Note: Rare causes of hair loss such as alopecia areata, folliculitis decalvans, acne keloidalis nuchae, & others are not discussed in this page. Review information written on other pages on this website.

What causes male pattern hair loss?

Genetics modified by hormonal input. Most often there is a family history of hair loss (take for example Prince Charles & his son William). The flipside is that your sibling may ‘skip’ the hair loss gene (Harry).

Hormones play an important part, namely androgens. This is why males are more susceptible to hair loss than females. The most important hormone is known as DHT or dihydrotesterone. This is a by-product of testosterone conversion. DHT accounts for the majority of hair fall, hence why many treatments are aimed at reducing DHT. 

Why is early treatment essential in managing hair loss?

Fact- the earlier the treatment the more follicles you save. If you have bald or near bald areas, it is unlikely hair density will ever return to normal. In this case, FUE hair transplantation is the only way back.

Simple medical treatments like minoxidil & finasteride can effectively halt recession in 90% of cases. Slowing down hair loss is the first step in actively managing male pattern baldness.

What are simple DIY home treatments that can slow down hair loss in men?

A simple home solution (I personally have been on this for the past 25 years) is minoxidil 5% applied twice a day. You can get this from most pharmacies. It costs 50 to 80 cents a day to help maintain hair follicles from dropping out prematurely.

Other treatments that can reduce DHT include saw palmetto. There are a few studies demonstrating the efficacy of this natural product. It is not as effective as finasteride or dutasteride, but it is side effect free. The next step involves management by a medical dermatologist.

Davin’s Viewpoint on Male Pattern Hair Loss

Hair loss in males can be devastating, especially in young adults. There is no ‘cure’, however dermatologists can markedly slow down this process with medical treatments and early intervention. The most important aspect to understand is early management & mitigation. This means get a move on to preserve your hair follicles at the earliest sign of hair fall.

Over the past two decades, the use of minoxidil & finasteride has been the foundation of medical management. My viewpoint is that topical formulations markedly reduce the side effects of oral medications. Compounded formulations will vary according to your medical dermatologist. Possibly the addition of dutasteride in a pulsed manner (once or twice a week), can improve outcomes whilst minimizing side effects. More research is required.

For more advanced cases of hair fall, PRP with microneedling is indicated. Our medical dermatologists normally perform 3 sessions over 3 months followed by a maintenance phase. These treatments should be viewed as adjunctive with mainstream medical intervention as discussed. The whole idea is to slow down the requirement for FUE or FUT hair transplantation. 

FUE is the end of the road. Depending on the patient, I perform either shaven FUE or unshaven. The latter is preferred if I transplant a small amounts of grafts, (less than 1500). The advantage of FUE unshaven is coverage of the donor area. The recipient area still requires 9-12 days to heal. The downside of unshaven FUE is that it requires extra time to perform.

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