Male Pattern Baldness

Male Pattern Baldness

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The male pattern baldness (MPB) form of androgenetic alopecia (there is also a female pattern baldness) accounts for more than 95% of hair loss in men. By age 35, two-thirds of American men will have some degree of appreciable hair loss and by age 50 approximately 85% of men have significantly thinning hair. About 25% of men who suffer from male pattern baldness begin the painful process before they reach 21.
Contrary to societal belief, most men who suffer from male pattern baldness are extremely unhappy with their situation and would do anything to change it. Hair loss affects every aspect of their life. It affects interpersonal relationships as well as their professional life. It is not uncommon for men to change their career paths because of hair loss.
The American Hair Loss Association recognizes how devastating male pattern baldness can be for men of all ages and has created resources for men to get completely objective answers to their hair loss questions.
We strongly advise against researching your options through the Yellow Pages or commercial websites. Hundreds of products and services are sold to the vulnerable hair loss consumer, but currently only two FDA-approved products have been clinically proven to stop or prevent hair loss. Also, there are only a handful of surgeons performing surgical hair restoration to state-of-the-art standards.

Hair loss causes and Reseach

The word "alopecia" is the medical term for hair loss. Alopecia does not refer to one specific hair loss disease -- any form of hair loss is an alopecia. The word alopecia is Latin, but can be traced to the Greek "alopekia," which itself comes from alopek, meaning "fox." Literally translated, the word alopecia (alopekia) is the term for mange in foxes.
Unlike alopecia, which describes hair loss where formerly there was hair growth, hypotrichosis describes a situation where there wasn't any hair growth in the first place.
Hair loss can be caused by any number of conditions, reflected in a specific diagnosis. Some diagnoses have alopecia in their title, such as alopecia areata or scarring alopecia, but many do not, such as telogen effluvium.
Alopecia can be caused by many factors from genetics to drugs. While androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness, AGA for short) is by far the most common form of hair loss, dermatologists also see many people with other forms of alopecia. Several hundred diseases have hair loss as a primary symptom.
Probably the most common non-AGA alopecias a dermatologist will see are telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, ringworm, scarring alopecia, and hair loss due to cosmetic overprocessing. Other, more rare forms of hair loss may be difficult to diagnose, and some patients may wait months, even years for a correct diagnosis and undergo consultation with numerous dermatologists until they find one with knowledge of their condition. Plus, with rare diseases, there is little motivation for research to be conducted and for treatments to be developed. Often, even when a correct diagnosis is made, a dermatologist can offer no known treatment for the condition.
Research into hair biology and hair diseases is a very small field, and even research on androgenetic alopecia is quite limited. Perhaps 20 years ago there were fewer than 100 people worldwide who studied hair research in a major way. In recent years, there may be five times as many. This is still a small number compared to, say, diabetes research, but the expanding numbers of researchers investigating hair biology is positive, and eventually should lead to a better understanding and more help for those with rare alopecias.
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razor bumps

What are razor bumps?

Razor bumps, also called pseudofolliculitis barbae, are small, irritated bumps on the skin. They develop after shaving, when strands of hair curl back on themselves and grow into the skin. Razor bumps cause irritation and pimples. They also may cause scarring.

How are razor bumps treated?

The best way to treat razor bumps is to stop shaving. If you cannot stop shaving, use a clean needle to release the embedded hair shaft. This usually stops razor bumps from developing, depending on how bad they are.
But if shaving is restarted, razor bumps typically return.
Severe razor bumps that do not go away with home treatment may be treated with medicine you spread on the skin, such as hydrocortisone, antibiotic, or tretinoin cream.

Do shaving alternatives stop the development of razor bumps?

Razor bumps will typically go away if shaving is stopped. Hair removal products (depilatories) can be used instead of shaving. But these products can irritate the skin and should be used only once or twice a week.
Or you can prevent irritation from shaving by having beard hair removed permanently with laser treatments or electrolysis.

Can razor bumps be prevented?

Following these shaving instructions can help prevent razor bumps from forming:

• Take a hot shower before shaving, to soften the hair and open the pores.
• Use a thick shaving gel.
• Don't stretch the skin when shaving, and always shave in the direction your beard grows. Use the fewest razor strokes possible. Rinse with cold water.
• Use an electric razor if it can be adjusted to a higher setting.
• After shaving, press a cold wet cloth against your face for 5 minutes.

Who is at risk for razor bumps?

Razor bumps are common among African Americans and people with tightly coiled hair.