Male Pattern Baldness vs. Alopecia

If looking in the mirror has started to become a bit unsettling lately due to thinning hair, you’re not alone – in fact, up to 85% of men will experience major hair loss or thinning by the time they’re 50. So what are the different types of hair loss, and what can be done about it?

What is male pattern hair loss?

Male pattern hair loss (also known as male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia) affects all men to some extent as they age. You might notice your hairline starting to recede at the temples or forehead, or thinning at the back or top of your head. If you’re not sure, compare a photo of yourself from 1-2 years ago to now to see if the hairline has receded. Some men may lose their hair over the entire crown of the head, leaving a horseshoe pattern of hair around the back and sides.

What causes male pattern hair loss?

Androgens are a group of sex hormones responsible for male features such as facial and body hair and reproductive activity. Androgens are present in both men and women, but in men, one of the major androgens produced is testosterone. In some men, the hair follicles are more sensitive to testosterone, leading to the hairs becoming thinner and shorter with each growth cycle, causing thinning hair or hair loss. It is genetics, or your family history, that will determine how much your hair is affected by this process.

What is alopecia?

Alopecia is just a fancy word for hair loss, but the term refers to an auto-immune disorder that affects both men and women and causes hair to come out in more random clumps or patches from the scalp or other parts of the body. There is no cure for alopecia, but the hair loss can be temporary if it is treated (though flare ups can reoccur and cause more permanent hair loss).

Alopecia

So androgenetic alopecia, which we’ve mentioned above, is typical male pattern baldness caused by hormones and genetics. Alopecia areata is the autoimmune condition that causes patchy hair loss on the scalp or other parts of the body. Other forms of alopecia are alopecia totalis, which results in hair loss across the entire scalp, and alopecia universalis, which affects the entire body.

How can I treat my hair loss?

While the type of hair loss may determine the treatments you choose to undergo, there are many options to treat your thinning hair or hair loss, from medical to cosmetic and everything in between.

If you think you have alopecia, it’s worth a discussion with your doctor to talk about underlying or additional issues you might be experiencing, as well as effective treatments. Your doctor can also point you in the right direction for medical solutions to slow down your male pattern hair loss, and perhaps even start to see some regrowth.

Laser hair therapy is a popular means of regrowing hair, and there are a variety of hair growth shampoos, serums and other products on the market that are specially formulated to help regrow your hair. A hair loss concealer, like Biothik, can also give the instant appearance of thicker hair.

Hairskeen hairpiece

 If your hair loss is significant and you’re ready to try out a whole new look, or just get your groove back, Hairskeen might just be the right solution for you. Hairskeen offers the best hair replacement technology on the market and can give you a full head of hair in under two hours. And if you’re interested in becoming certified to offer this to your clients, get in touch about our upcoming training seminars.