Men’s Hair Loss: How to Identify Your Type of Hair Loss (Alopecia)

CONTENTS
1. Androgenetic Hair Loss / Alopecia (most common)
2. Non-Hereditary Temporary Hair Loss (infrequent)
3. Non-Hereditary Long-Lasting Hair Loss (very infrequent) 

1.Androgenetic Hair Loss/Alopecia

Causes

• The loss is caused by the scalp’s excessive responsiveness, for genetic reasons, to androgens (testostérone), i.e., the male sex hormones. That is why the hair loss is called “androgenetic”. 

• More specifically, it is not the testosterone itself that causes the hair loss, but DHT, a local hormone created by the combination of testosterone with 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme located in the scalp.

• The DHT’s effect, under the enzyme’s impulse, is to accelerate part of the hair’s life cycle. The abnormal acceleration forces the hair follicle and roots to produce increasingly thinner and shorter hair. Ultimately, the follicles wear themselves out, shrink, and end up producing only a thin down, and then nothing at all. At the end of the process, the inactive follicles penetrate the dermis, and the skin becomes unlined: nature hates a vacuum…

Family history (father, grandfather, uncles, but also mother, grandmother or aunts) is an essential factor for the diagnosis.  

Aggravating Factors

- Stress increases the secretion of androgens: it is an aggravating factor. Androgenetic hair loss can be made worse by stress in general, but also by the stress caused by the hair loss itself. The escalation is then endless: stress increases the hair loss, which increases stress, which in turn increases the hair loss… Read also Stress and Hair Loss

- 'Bad' Cholesterol Excess Cholesterol and Hair Loss

How to Recognize Androgenic Alopecia

The hair loss is progressive and localised to well-defined zones of the scalp: it starts with the frontal and side hairlines, and then spreads to the vertex (the tip at the back of the head) and the parietal area (the top of the head). It always comes along with a progressive thinning of the hair on the androgen-responsive areas, and often also with hyperseborrhea.

Hair Loss Pace

It varies significantly from one man to another. Some turn bald at age 30 (if they do not follow a treatment), others merely ‘thin out’ at age 60. It all depends on the intensity of the genetic factor, and the way one reacts to it. However, 4 typical scenarios can be outlined, from the heaviest to the mildest. You will more than likely recognize yourself in one of them:

Scenario 1: Hair loss is significant and continuous, starting at the end of adolescence (age 17 or 18), sometimes even earlier. If you do not react very quickly, you are likely to be bald at the age of 30.

Scenario 2: Hair falls punctually, often at times of fatigue or stress (e.g., exam preparation or problems at work). After each period of hair loss, you think it is over, but it then recurs later. The hair grows back more scarcely and, towards the age of 25, you realise that you are starting to turn bald.

Scenario 3: Initially, the hair loss is subtle, often without you noticing it. But towards the age of 30, you realise that the front hairline has receded considerably, and your hair is noticeably less abundant at the vertex level and on the top of the head.

Scenario 4:  In the least serious cases, the hair loss is even more insidious. It starts towards the age of 20, so progressively that you do not notice the very gradual lightening of the hair. You only realise a certain lack of hair towards the age of 30 or 35. If this is your case, you will never turn bald.

Regardless of what scenario is closest to your situation, it is recommended to have an in-depth hair diagnosis as soon as you notice a weakening of your hair. It will enable us to determine the treatment that corresponds exactly to your specific needs.

How to Identifie Your Type of Hair Loss continued on page 2

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Thinner and Fewer Regrowing Hair (with sketches). What To Do
Impact of Androgen Hormones on Hair Loss
Stress and Hair Loss
Greasy Hair and sebum
Daily Hair Loss: What Is the Norm? 
Three Massages to Stimulate Regrowing Hair

TREATMENT FOR ANDROGENETIC HAIR LOSS:
Hair Growth and Regrowth: Where Precisely to Act?
Anti-Hair Loss Treatments in France
Clauderer Anti-Hair Loss Treatments (Men) 
Hair Loss Treatments FAQ
The Clauderer Approach
Clauderer in-Depth Hair Diagnosis

Diagnosis In-depth Clauderer Diagnosis: Have a complete hair checkup