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Male Hair Loss

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Male pattern hair loss is common. Some men will lose very little of their hair and while others will have significant loss. To some men hair loss may have a negative effect on their self image and influence their personal and professional lives.

Hair grows about 1/2 to 1 cm per month. Hair grows and falls out in a natural cycle over and over during your lifetime. At any one time about 90% of your hair is in an active growing cycle and it is not uncommon to shed up to 100 hairs a day with a normal scalp. Hair grows in ‘family’ units typically of 1 to 4 hairs called follicles.

In typical male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia) the follicle responds to the male hormones and the hairs begin to get smaller and smaller until baldness occurs. The substance directly responsible for hair loss is called DHT. A hair transplant works because the follicles are taken from the area of the scalp where they are resistant to the effects of DHT and remain resistant to loss when moved to a new place on the scalp.

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.

Hair loss in Male Pattern Hair Loss(MPHL) is usually diagnosed based on appearance and pattern of the hair loss.  Any atypical pattern may be caused by other medical disorders. MPHL is very common and can affect relationships both personal and professional.