Seven ways … to avoid hair loss.

Hair today, gone tomorrow … is losing
it inevitable? Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo

Two-thirds of men are affected by male pattern baldness, with 40% experiencing noticeable hair loss by the age of 35, but there are some things you can do to try to keep it at bay.

Consider prescription medications

There are two clinically approved drugs for preventing further hair loss – finasteride and minoxidil. Finasteride works by inhibiting the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes the hair follicles to shrink and eventually fall out, while minoxidil increases blood flow and nutrient uptake to the follicles. Both treatments may result in some hair regrowth as well, but they include the risk of side-effects. Finasteride has been found to lead to erectile dysfunction and decreased libido in approximately 1 in 31 men, while minoxidil can result in skin irritation and allergic reactions.

Use a laser comb

Apart from finasteride and minoxidil, laser combs are the only hair-loss treatment to have received FDA approval. (In the UK, the medication and the combs have to be paid for privately as they are not available on the NHS.) A 2014 study of 103 men with pattern hair loss found a significant increase in hair density after 26 weeks of applying a laser comb across the scalp three times a week. The exact way the combs work isn’t fully understood, but it has been suggested that low-power lasers have an antioxidant effect on hair follicles.

By David Cox.

Full story at The Guardian.