What is Male Pattern Baldness?

Male pattern baldness (or MPB) is a very common condition. It affects roughly of men at any given time. Although it is a perfectly normal condition, a majority of men who experience Male Pattern Baldness find themselves feeling at least some level of distress or discomfort over their hair loss at some point during their lives, particularly when hair loss first begins occurring. While some men simply adjust and accept their MPB, a significant number of them feel so upset by their hair loss that it interferes with a healthy state of emotions.

While there is a lot that is known about this condition (also known as androgenic alopecia), there is also a great deal that isn’t understood. Scientists and experts today understand that MPB is triggered by hormonal changes which cause hair follicles to stop producing new hair cells. What isn’t known for sure, but is believed to be related to genetics, is why these hormonal changes occur in some men but not in others. Experts agree that a man who has male relatives with MPB is more prone to experience hair loss themselves.

Baldness in both men and women occurs when hair follicles cease to produce new hair cells. The hair follicles themselves do not “die” or disappear. Instead, they simply become dormant. In some cases of dormancy, follicles may begin producing cells again later. This is particularly common when factors, such as illness or external factors like chemotherapy treatment for cancer, temporarily disrupt the normal function of the follicles. Once these external circumstances return to normal, the follicles begin to function again.

In Male Pattern Baldness, however, proper functioning of the follicles seems to be permanently disrupted. It was once believed that this condition could not be reversed, and that the only hope a man with hair loss had of having a full head of hair again was to receive a hair transplant.

Science now knows that MPB can actually be reversed in many cases for many sufferers with the right combination of supplements and/or treatments. Numerous treatments have in fact been developed over the last few decades that have been shown to re-grow hair in some sufferers of MPB.

These early treatments had three major drawbacks. First, many were simply too expensive. Secondly, they had to be used for the duration of the user’s life in order to maintain hair re-growth, making the desire to have a full head of hair a very costly lifestyle choice. Thirdly, many of these treatments were largely chemical-based, which was a turn-off to potential users who were reluctant to expose themselves to such chemicals for extended periods of time.

Fortunately, today’s hair loss product market is full of products that are more natural and less harsh than many earlier products. Some of the best products contain natural ingredients such as Stinging Nettle and Saw Palmetto and others which have long been associated with and used for hair re-growth. Not only are these products more natural, many of them are considerably less expensive.

Male Pattern Baldness differs from other types of hair loss. For this reason, it is important to choose a product that is specifically designed for men in order to achieve maximum results. It is also important to note that not every product works for every user. Scientists aren’t sure why some men seem to be able to reverse hair loss while others cannot. It is sometimes a simple matter of trial and error to discover a product that works for a particular individual.