Hair on the pillow, in the shower, and on clothes – hair loss is never a pleasant topic for any man. Especially for young men, thinning hair doesn’t fit with their self-image. The emotional distress is often immense. We’ll explain how hair loss develops and how you can slow it down or even stop it. And we’ll also give you a few tips for prevention, because minimizing the risk of hair loss is usually the best strategy.
Humans lose around 70-100 hairs a day. Losing more than that is usually referred to as hair loss or alopecia. Young men are also familiar with this phenomenon. While no man in his early twenties probably wants to think about it, it’s quite possible that hair is already clogging drains or accumulating on the carpet. Inevitably, the question arises whether one is heading towards baldness. And indeed, almost one in three 30-year-olds has a receding hairline. *
* Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine: Ellis et al., 2002
Four Steps to Keeping a Full Head of Hair
What can you do if you suspect you’re suffering from hair loss? We advise you to take a deep breath and not panic. Recognize that there are now effective methods for treating hair loss. And perhaps it will help to know that you’re not alone: millions of men are going through the same thing. But what can you do practically? Here’s a short guide in four steps:
Step 1: Identify if you’re really suffering from hair loss.
Step 2: Investigate the cause of your hair loss.
Step 3: Take action and stop hair loss.
Step 4: Prevent hair loss.
Step 1: Identify if you’re really suffering from hair loss
. First of all, you should ask yourself if you’re actually experiencing hair loss. Do you notice thinning patches in your hair, or is your hairline receding? Talk to people you trust, such as friends and family, and ask them if they’ve noticed anything unusual about your hair. Find out if there’s a history of hair loss in your family, whether on your mother’s or father’s side. If
you want to be absolutely sure, consult your doctor, preferably a dermatologist. Depending on your medical history, tests will be performed, such as an epilation test. For this test, small tufts of hair are taken from several areas and pulled out. The pulled-out hairs can then be analyzed to determine if you’re experiencing increased hair loss. You can also ask for a hair root status analysis (trichogram), which provides information about the hair’s growth pattern. However, the costs for such an examination are usually not covered by health insurance.
Step 2: Investigate the cause of hair loss
. Okay, you’re affected? In the next step, you should find out what is causing your hair loss. The most common causes of hair loss in men are:
1. Hereditary hair loss
2. Hair loss due to illness
3. Stress-related hair loss
4. Dietary hair loss.
Hereditary hair loss
Hereditary hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia, is by far the most common cause of hair loss in men. In about 80 percent of all men, hair loss is genetically predetermined – in some more pronounced than in others.
The culprit is the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a metabolic product of testosterone. DHT shortens the natural growth phase of the hair, causing it to fall out prematurely. Some hair follicles are particularly sensitive to DHT. As a result, the hair follicle atrophies, and after a while, no more hair grows.
Disease-related hair loss
is the second most common cause of hair loss in men.
This usually manifests as alopecia areata ( patchy hair loss ): several sharply defined, mostly circular patches of baldness. The trigger is not yet fully understood, but it is likely that the immune system, the body’s natural defense mechanism, attacks its own hair. Mental health conditions can also be a contributing factor. Diffuse hair loss
(alopecia diffusa) refers to hair loss that affects the entire scalp evenly. Severe infections, such as a persistent case of the flu, or metabolic disorders can trigger this form of hair loss. Some people who had COVID-19 also reported experiencing increased hair loss. Certain medications can also lead to hair loss, most notably cytostatic drugs used in chemotherapy. Blood pressure medication, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and medications for epilepsy and rheumatism can also be causes of hair loss. Furthermore, there are scalp conditions that can cause hair loss. Intense itching, redness, and scaling likely indicate psoriasis vulgaris. In severely affected areas, the hair can fall out along with the scales. Psoriasis also disrupts hair regrowth. Stress-related hair loss: Stress is detrimental to our hair. Prolonged stress, for example, due to excessive workload or relationship problems, can trigger hair loss. A study from Korea has shown that men who work more than 40 hours per week have a significantly higher risk of hair loss.* This is likely due to neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, the concentration of which increases during stress and triggers inflammatory processes in the hair follicle – the structure surrounding the hair root. As with androgenetic alopecia, the hair’s growth phase is prematurely terminated, and the hair falls out prematurely. *
Study on the relationship between high workload and hair loss
Nutritional Hair Loss:
Nutritional hair loss is usually diffuse, meaning the entire scalp is affected evenly. While the hair follicle itself is intact, it lacks essential nutrients such as trace elements, proteins, fats, and vitamins. Biotin and B vitamins, amino acids like cystine, and minerals such as iron and zinc, in particular, must reach the hair follicle via the bloodstream for it to complete its normal growth cycle. A poor, unbalanced diet can lead to increased hair loss – a clear warning sign to make changes quickly.
Step 3: Take action and stop hair loss.
Stopping Hereditary Hair
Loss: If you suffer from hereditary hair loss , you have several options. Of course, you can simply accept it; after all, it’s quite normal. However, you certainly wouldn’t have read this far if that were truly an option for you. Therefore, you have two options: treating your hair with appropriate products, and two options: medication, which should only be administered under medical supervision and carries some risks.
Let’s tackle this from the end: Option three is the active ingredient finasteride. This 5-alpha reductase inhibitor reduces the production of dihydrotestosterone, thus eliminating the main cause of hair loss. Clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of finasteride in treating androgenetic alopecia, i.e., hereditary hair loss. However, the medication must be taken orally every day and can have dramatic side effects: loss of libido, impotence, and depression. Several men also report the so-called post-finasteride syndrome, irreversible side effects that can occur even years after discontinuing the medication. Therefore, one must carefully consider whether such a radical intervention in one’s hormonal balance is desirable. It’s best to discuss this with your doctor, as the drug requires a prescription anyway.
A significantly gentler option is option two: the external application of active ingredients via shampoo or tonic, which protect and strengthen the hair follicles. The bioactive ingredients carnitine tartrate, taurine, and echinacea have proven effective in this regard, and we have integrated them into a revitalizing care formula for M:ID’s anti-hair loss products. A clinical study has demonstrated that this formula significantly increases hair density and noticeably improves hair structure in 71 percent of men after six weeks.
The formula works so reliably because carnitine tartrate occurs naturally in human tissue, where it extends the natural growth phase of hair. Taurine is also a naturally occurring metabolic byproduct. It strengthens energy metabolism in the hair root, thus accelerating hair growth. Echinacea has a similar effect: This plant substance stimulates the hair roots to produce more growth hormones.
Stopping hair loss due to illness:
If you suspect you are suffering from hair loss due to illness, a visit to the doctor is unavoidable. Find out exactly what is causing the hair loss and discuss possible treatment options. However, especially with alopecia areata (patchy hair loss), it is not always possible to pinpoint a specific cause and thus tackle the problem head-on. In this case, it is recommended to optimize your lifestyle and hair care routine to the extent that these can be ruled out as causes and also promote hair growth. Hair density usually regenerates once the underlying condition is resolved.
Avoiding stress as a trigger for hair loss:
Stress-related hair loss is usually only noticed two to four months after the onset of the stressful period. Bereavement, breakups, and heavy workloads can all be triggers. And once hair starts falling out, it naturally causes even more stress. Stress can’t simply be wished away, and quitting your job to save your hair isn’t everyone’s first choice. Nevertheless, you should use this knowledge and ask yourself what you can do to combat stress. Every man has to find his own solution. Taking breaks, exercising, meditating, or even undergoing therapy can help stop stress-related hair loss. If you’re suffering from
, it’s high time you changed your lifestyle and banished junk food from your kitchen. Pay attention to a balanced diet and ensure you’re getting enough trace elements, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, regardless of your preferred diet. Vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, selenium, and biotin are particularly important. Nuts, for example, are considered a superfood when it comes to hair loss. Further tips would go beyond the scope of this article, but we will delve deeper into the topic of nutrition in relation to hair health in future posts.
In any case, it’s advisable to consult your doctor to determine the exact causes of any deficiencies. Follow your doctor’s advice, eat a balanced diet, and, if appropriate (and recommended by your doctor), use supplements temporarily.
Step 4: Preventing Hair Loss
You don’t suffer from hair loss yourself, but you’re worried it might catch up with you someday, perhaps because some men in your family have thinning hair? Then take preventative measures. Once the hair is gone, it’s almost always too late. It’s far more effective to avoid giving hair loss any opportunity to take hold in the first place. The following five tips will help you do just that.
1. Healthy Diet
It’s important that you provide your entire body, including your scalp and hair roots, with sufficient amounts of the right nutrients. Find out which nutrients you might be lacking and how to get them.
2. Avoid or Manage Stress
Make sure that stressful periods are followed by periods of rest. Get enough exercise or find other ways to feel happy and balanced.
3. Proper Hair Care
A irritated scalp can contribute to hair loss. Therefore, use a product specifically formulated for your hair and scalp, such as those from M:ID. Regular scalp massages, for example, while massaging in a tonic, promote blood circulation in the scalp and thus its overall health.
4. Drink alcohol sparingly.
Regular drinking negatively impacts hair growth phases and promotes breakage. However, the occasional beer or glass of wine is fine.
5. Don’t smoke.
Because smoking damages blood vessels and thus the supply of nutrients to the hair roots, smokers suffer from hair loss almost twice as often as non-smokers. Is the craving for a cigarette worth it?
We hope these explanations and tips help you better understand your hair and manage it. If you are suffering from hair loss or want to prevent it, learn more about our M:ID anti-hair loss products here. As always, we greatly appreciate your feedback in the comments below and also welcome suggestions for future articles.
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