Scary hairy tales! - Hair treatment for men

TV shopping channels and websites are cluttered with advertisements of hair treatment all the time. The irony here is there are more hair products for men than there are for women. There are many questions ringing in your ears, thus - "Will a change in shampoo stop the hair loss?" "If I exercise and try to stay fit, will it benefit?" "Do I need any special conditioner or serum for my hair?" "Is hair transplant surgery an option?"

What exactly does hair loss mean?

Hair loss is a common phenomenon for both men and women. While researches say losing anywhere between 100 to 200 strands of hairs on a daily basis is a natural process, hair loss over and above this number depends on various other factors like family history, age, and a few lifestyle factors as well like stress, food habits, etc., and is a matter of concern for the individual. Hair loss follows a simple cyclic process flow :

1. Anagen - this is the phase where the hair is growing.
2. Catagen - this is the phase where hair begins to fall.
3. Talogen - this is the phase where the hair loss stops.

Can hair loss be prevented or reduced?

Hair loss as a side effect of chemotherapy or radiation for cancer, or even losses due to thyroid, can be regained as a natural process within a year, but natural hair loss can be prevented by giving any of the below-mentioned pointers a shot :

1. Use experts recommended hair shampoo, serum, conditioner, etc.
2. Healthy diet and a proper exercise regimen.
3. Avoiding stress.
4. Staying away from smoking and liquor.

All said and done, the prevention in many cases not controlled only by the above factors. Family history, genes etc., play a vital role for the hair loss occurrence.

What are the treatment methods for hair loss in men: Million dollar question!

A nightmare for every guy surely! Losing hair is something nobody can control, and post the hair loss, one is in a difficult state of mind, trying out every gel, serum, or medication in the market to stop the fall and retain what one has, or better still, regain the growth. But do these treatments really help? Can men regain lost ground? What is the time frame for that? Will the hair loss occur again after regaining the hair? Too many questions and few answers! So let us try to dig in the answers.

1. Medications – Patterned baldness is one of the most common types of hair loss occurring primarily in men. The scientific reason for it is the presence of abundance of free testosterone in the body which tends to get converted into dihydrotestosterone. An abundance of DHT causes the patterned hair loss. The best method for medically treating it is through medicines prescribed by a doctor like "minoxidil" applied on the scalp, or "finasteride," pills that are used to curb the conversion of "testosterone into DHT."
2. Proper diet – Healthy diet, avoiding excess quantity of carbohydrate consumption, can work on occasion curbing the hair loss and help in growth of new hair. Carbohydrate aids in creation of excess insulin in the blood, which in turn is linked to patterned baldness. Thus, inclusion of a lot of other nutrients in the food is quintessential for curbing down the hair loss.
3. Workouts – Obesity is again a reason which leads to baldness. Try to have a proper workout regimen and get rid of the extra fat. This shall help in hair growth as well.
4. Scalp treatment – Doctors can suggest ways to undergo a complete scalp treatment where the dandruff related issues are taken care of. This can be accomplished through medication as well as recommended hair care products.
5. Hair transplant – The most expensive, but so far as per various researches, the most effective method for hair treatment. Under this, patches of hair are moved from one part of the scalp to the other. The growth in 99% cases is permanent and guaranteed. There can be a few side effects like skin infections, but the same can be treated easily.