Top Causes of Baldness in Males
Both men and women experience hair loss at some point in their lives.
In fact, more than two-thirds of American men experience hair loss by age 35. And about 85% of men have noticeable hair thinning by age 50.
Hair loss can take various forms, removing all the hair from your body or only affecting your scalp. However, the common type of hair loss in men is the male pattern baldness, which accounts for nearly 95% of hair loss.
Fortunately, there are prescription medications that can be used to treat balding in males. For instance, you can get Finasteride over the counter in Canada, which is proven effective at preventing male pattern baldness and promoting hair regrowth.
You need to know the root cause of your hair loss problem to ensure you get the best treatment or medication for your hair loss.
Here are some of the leading causes of baldness in men:
- Genetics
Genetics is one of the main and most common causes of balding in men. Most men experience baldness due to a hereditary condition referred to as male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia.
Genetic hair loss is typically caused by hormonal changes that make hair follicles sensitive to androgens, particularly dihydrotestosterone or DHT. This causes the hair shaft to shrink and reduce in diameter, preventing your hair from growing over time.
Hereditary hair loss in men is characterized by a receding hairline and thinning around the crown of your head. About 25% of men report seeing the effect of male pattern baldness as young as 21 years of age.
- Diet & Nutrition
Nutritional deficiencies can also cause unintended hair shedding and thinning in men. Most natural nutrients in animal products, such as protein, zinc, iron, and vitamin B, promote hair growth, meaning that nutritional deficiencies could lead to hair loss.
If you don’t get enough nutrients and minerals from your diets, you may consider taking supplements to maintain your hair health. Ensure you consult your doctor before taking any new supplements or vitamins.
- Medical Conditions
Apart from nutritional deficiencies and hereditary issues, baldness in men can also be caused by various medical conditions. Different medical conditions can cause varying degrees of baldness in men.
Your hair thinning or balding can be permanent or temporary, depending on your medical condition. Some common medical conditions associated with balding in men include alopecia areata, which causes your immune system to attack hair follicles, leading to hair loss.
This condition is characterized by hair shedding in small patches on your head and sometimes from the whole body.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is another medical condition that could cause baldness in men. This condition happens when your body’s immune system attacks the thyroid glands. The condition may cause excessive hair shedding from your scalp if left untreated.
Grave’s disease is another thyroid condition that can lead to balding. The condition causes overproduction of thyroid hormones, affecting the growth of new hair on your scalp and sometimes on your whole body.
You may also experience balding due to a chronic autoimmune disease known as lupus. This happens when your body’s antibodies attack healthy hair follicles, causing your hair to shed.
- Medication
A wide range of medications can also lead to baldness in males. These medications can include cholesterol-lowering drugs, blood pressure medications, anticoagulants, acne treatments, some antidepressants, chemotherapy drugs, antifungal drugs, and steroids.
Prolonged use of these medications can stimulate or exacerbate hair loss conditions by interfering with your hair growth cycle.
Some medications can cause your hair to enter the resting or telogen phase, causing your hair to fall out prematurely, a type of hair loss known as telogen Effluvium. Side effects of some medications, such as chemotherapy treatment, can lead to severe balding, also known as Anagen Effluvium.
In most cases, you may experience balding after a few days or weeks of taking these medications. Balding related to medications is often temporary, so your hair will likely regrow once you stop taking the drug.
- Stress
Your baldness may also be caused by intense emotional or physical stress. This can be from a sudden or excessive weight loss, emotional or physical shock from the pandemic, surgery, or even flu or fever. This negatively affects your physical and mental health.
Chronic stress has been shown to exacerbate or induce hair loss, causing you to shed up to 150 strands a day on average. Consult your doctor whenever you’re experiencing severe stress to prevent or reduce excessive hair shedding.
Endnote
Many factors can cause baldness in males alongside genetic predisposition. These causes could lead to permanent or temporary shedding of hair from your scalp or whole body.
Knowing the root cause of your hair loss can help ensure you get the best treatment and restore hair growth.