alopecia and genes

fast facts about alopecia and genes ...are there any cures?

Loss of hair in men is a terrible curse - or, at least, those of you who suffer from it will undoubtedly think so.

What's more, men with lots of hair seem to prefer shaving their heads ... while lovers of longer hair lose more and more each day.

So let's take a look at the main types of baldness, see what can actually be done about it, and come up with suggestions as to how best deal with the problem ...

alopecia and genes - androgenic alopecia

Generally speaking, male baldness is genetic.

If you have relatives with thin hair or baldness, you're likely to get the same problem sooner or later.

Hair loss in men is caused by a pompously-named chemical – dihydrotestosterone or DHT.

This chemical is known to locate around the hair follicle, eventually killing it and the hair as well.

What is genetic is the resistance of the hair follicle to DHT.

The most common form of hair loss for men is male-pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, which is responsible for about 90% of hair loss cases.

It affects the crown of the head, where hair starts thinning, and also brings about a receding hairline.

androgenic alopecia and genes - treatments

Are there any cures if you who suffer from androgenic alopecia?

There's a certain amount of evidence to show that drugs such as finasteride (better known as Propecia) and minoxildil will help some patients keep androgenic alopecia hair loss under control. But, Propecia only works as long as you take it - and do you want to go that trouble and expense for the rest of your life?
Cosmetic hair transplant surgery and hair replacement systems, although costly and time-consuming, are improving all the time and do show some results.
Some claim that herbs such as Saw palmetto - a herbal DHT inhibitor - help. However this is questionable.

alopecia and genes - alopecia areata

There's another type of alopecia - alopecia areata - which must be approached differently.

Although this type of alopecia may be hereditary, it's basically considered to be an autoimmune disease ...

Your immune system, designed to protect the body against foreign intruders like bacteria and viruses, attacks your hair follicles by mistake and destroys them.

This leads to hair loss, mostly on the scalp, although it can also occur in other areas of the body.

Since it's related to the functioning of your immune system, there's a good chance that this kind of alopecia will improve. Statistics show that:

Statistics show that:

50% of patients' hair will regrow within a year without treatment
90% of patients' hair will eventually grow back
10% will experience little or no regrowth

alopecia and genes - treatments

Alopecia areata is, basically, treated with drugs that suppress the immune system, such as corticosteroids.

They come in three forms:

steroid injections
oral corticosteroids
creams

Steroid injections are suitable for small areas of hair loss and you should see some results after about a month.

Oral corticosteroids decrease hair loss, but only whilst taken, and can produce severe side effects such as hypertension and cataracts.

For this reason, treatment is only advisable for short periods of time.

The least traumatic of all and, unfortunately, the least effective are topical ointments or creams containing steroids.

alopecia and genes - other remedies

Other types of medication include anthralin, sulfasalazine, oral cyclosporine ... and many more.

Acupuncture, aromatherapy, zinc, vitamin supplements, and Chinese herbs are just some of the other things alopecia-sufferers experiment with.

But their effectiveness is questionable.

So what's your best course of action if you suffer with hair loss?...

First of all, remember you're not alone. Think of all the celebrities who have the same problem, and follow their example ... shave your head.

Keep your scalp lightly tanned and moisturized, and control your weight so that your face doesn't look pudgy.

After all, what's good enough for the stars can't be too bad an idea for you.

Remember also, that many men in the security/body guard industry need to shave their heads - whether they suffer from hair loss or not - to prevent oponents grabbing their hair in a fight.

Having no hair on your head does not mean you can't be attractive, sexy and desirable! So, stop worrying and go for it!