February 15, 2022
How to Deal with Male Pattern Hair Loss & Bald Spots
The day you realize your hair is thinning can be a traumatic time. Looking back, you may have noticed more hair on the shower floor or excessive hair in your hairbrush or on the bathroom counter. You might not have even noticed until a friend mentions it. The first tell-tale sign that you may be experiencing male pattern hair loss (MPHL) is balding or thinning around the crown of your head.Although MPHL cannot be cured, this type of hair loss can be slowed and treated through prescription and non-prescription treatments; especially if treatment is started at the first signs of hair loss. If you have more advanced signs of balding, you still have options! At Hair Restoration Institute, we will go over both surgical and non-surgical options that will help you get your hair back. We are here for you. Whether you’ve noticed a bald spot on your crown, a receding hairline, or thinning in multiple areas of your hair, we can help answer some common questions and recommend the best hair restoration options to fit your needs.
The Cause of Bald Spots Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the biggest culprit of bald spots. Everyone, men and women, produce DHT naturally. However, some individuals are genetically predisposed to their hair follicles being weakened and ultimately shrinking when exposed to DHT. The follicles most susceptible are at the hairline and crown. There are other factors besides DHT that can cause various types of hair loss:
- Emotional or physical stress
- Hormonal changes
- Medications
- Medical conditions
- Poor diet
- Aging
- Hairstyling & hair products
By coming to The Hair Restoration Institute for a consultation, our professionals can help you assess the causes of your hair loss and tailor a hair restoration treatment that works best for you.
The First Signs of Balding If you’ve noticed some thinning as you’re looking at the back of your head in the barber’s mirror, or if it runs in the family and you’re worried you’ll miss the signs, here are some common signs to look for:
Reduction in hair thickness. Thinning often starts at the hairline and the crown. If you notice less hair on top, a change in texture, or finer, smaller strands of hair in the area in question, you may be experiencing the beginnings of MPHL.
Loss of hair at the crown. Although it’s one of the first signs of MPHL, it’s hard to examine the hair on the crown and back of your head, so you may need to ask your significant other or trusted friend if they see that area thinning.
Disappearing hairline. Another common area that MPHL strikes first is at the hairline. A receding hairline can happen slowly and subtly. The best way to tell if your hairline is receding is by assessing yourself now with older pictures of yourself to notice where your hairline was compared to where it is now.
How Can I Treat My Bald Spots? Since MPHL is a gradual, natural genetic process, you cannot permanently stop MPHL, but you can look at several options to treat the hair loss and restore your hair to its lush, thicker state.
Least intrusive options. If your balding recently started, you might be able to slow the progression on bald spots and regrow your hair. Minoxidil and finasteride are two medicinal treatments that have shown success when used together. LLLHT, or low-level laser hair therapy (also known as photo biotherapy), is an effective treatment to slow hair loss while promoting new hair growth. This laser treatment is used to stimulate cellular activity and boost blood circulation on the scalp to encourage regrowth. These first-step treatments may not be the solution for your MPHL, especially if it’s been present for a while.
Non-surgical procedures. Scalp Micropigmentation is a non-surgical choice that creates the appearance of fuller, thicker hair. This technological advanced solution using hair pigmentation applied to the scalp. This is beneficial for both men and women to help fill in those thinning areas.
Surgical treatments. If you’re hair loss is more advanced, a hair transplant may be the best solution. It’s a minimally invasive, outpatient surgery that uses healthy donor hair follicles from other thicker, fuller areas of your head to be implanted onto the affected area. At The Hair Restoration Institute, we offer two types of hair transplantation:
- FUT hair transplantation. FUT, or follicular unit transplantation, uses a strip of hair from the healthy area and relocates it into the thinning area. The strip generally leaves a small scar that is generally not visible since it’s covered by your thick hair.
- FUE hair transplantation. FUE, or follicular unit extraction, uses thin grafts with only one to three hair follicles from the donor area and expertly transfers them into those thinning areas or bald spots. FUE is generally more viable for those who wear their hair short since there is no visible scarring at all.
Both types of hair transplants are safe, and the results look natural since your own hair follicles are used. You’re basically regrowing your own hair!You don’t have to just live with hair loss and MPHL. There is a treatment for you, and our expert medical staff is ready to help you find the right solution. Make your free consultation appointment today at the Hair Restoration Institute. It’s free of charge and discreet, and our caring professionals are ready to help you restore self-confidence along with a fuller head of hair. You’ll find us at 8030 Old Cedar Ave S Ste 202 in Bloomington, MN, or call 612-588-HAIR (4247) for a private, complimentary consultation.
