Are men in denial about hair loss?
Men in their 20s, 30s and 40s speak up and the truth will surprise you!
MANILA, Philippines — When we say hair, we immediately think of women and their bad hair days. But men can be as meticulous and expressive when it comes to their crowning glory. In fact, hair becomes more important as they age due to the very possibility of losing it.
While it’s normal for an individual to lose 100 to 150 strands of hair daily, it has been proven that hair loss is more common in men than women.
Globally, 18 percent of men aged 20 to 40 have faced significant hair loss—reveals leading personal care brand Dove Men. By the time they reach their 50s, 50 percent might already be experiencing hair loss.
A precedent to balding and baldness, excessive hair fall is a serious concern for men regardless of their age. We discovered that even younger men admit experiencing it.
“I'm currently experiencing a lot of hair fall for my age and it bothers me when I see the amount of hair I lose every single day. It is comparable to a person nearing baldness or the typical hair loss of two or three people,” shares 20-year-old Marco Louie Diccion.
A student at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and taking up Industrial Design, Diccion is adventurous when it comes to his hairstyles. He keeps his natural curls long.
“I try to explore anything that suits my mood. When I want to look clean and mature, I simply tie my bun neatly and when I'm down for a rugged and messy look, I just comb my hair to a designed style and let it be as is. My curls define my style,” he added.
Understanding the root cause
But why does Diccion still experience hair fall despite his religious hair routine? According to Men’s Health, a major cause is the hormone called androgens. When a man’s body becomes extremely sensitive to androgens, it sheds hair.
The extent of this is dependent on genes from both mother and father, new scientific studies suggest according to Business Insider.
Twenty-two-year-old Jan Gabriel Bardelosa affirms it. At his age, he already understands that he could end up bald like his grandfather and uncle.
“Yes I am afraid to go bald,” admits Bardelosa. Nevertheless, he won’t let this affect his confidence as he is already preparing for the worst.
“For me, confidence depends on the person and not on his hair alone. That is why I'm working on getting a buff body. So even if I got bald in the future, I’ll have a good physique,” Bardelosa explains.
Bardelosa’s cousin, Tupe Peralta, is also experiencing hair fall.
The 31-year-old artist who sports long hair tells that he might have neglected taking care of his hair in his younger years.
“My hair used to be longer before and I used to tie it a lot. I think this gave more stress to my hair,” Peralta says.
“I never paid much attention about it but I did notice that a lot of hair comes off whenever I brush. It only hit me that my hair has really thinned when I could already see my scalp whenever I tied my hair—or even when not tied,” he added.
Dove Men+Care also cites natural and external forces as causes of hair loss.
One is wear and tear wherein hair can fall from the root. This is caused by daily activities such as washing, drying and brushing. Second is premature breakage caused by friction and damage. Damage starts at the external layer (cuticle), which exposes the cortex to damage and can cause hair to break.
Address hair fall before it’s too late
All this said, addressing hair fall does fall upon a man’s head and shoulders — so to speak. Or else, it may be too late.
“During my mid-twenties, when I was stressed out from work, I suffered from severe dandruff that led to excessive hair fall. But even so, it was something I denied then,” shares Alex Delos Santos, 33, a high school teacher.
“When my colleagues started noticing my receding hairline, that’s the only time I started worrying about it,” he said.
At this point, acceptance is key. “I’m not afraid of getting bald anymore. If ever I do get bald, then that would be one less thing to worry about in my daily routine!” enthuses Delos Santos.
The same is true for 42-year-old Frederick Laping. The community engagement manager used to sport longdread locks. But once it was gone, he began experiencing hair fall as early as his college days.
“While I never really neglected my hair nor denied my hair fall, at my age, I am not afraid to get bald anymore,” Laping says.
There is hope for Diccion who says, “I try to do my best to prevent hair fallfrom happening so as not to lose a part of my identity.”
The boost he needs is Dove Men+Care Strengthening Shampoo. The shampoo nourishes hair and makes it up to 5X stronger against hair fall due to breakage.
Its formulation also contains Trichazole Actives which has been scientifically proven to reduce hair fall from the roots, as well as antioxidant-rich caffeine to enhance growth of follicles.
Overall, Dove Men+Care fortifies hair from roots to tips to make it stronger and healthier—thus less prone to falling and breaking.
“Aside from looking good and feeling good, having healthy hair gives me a headstart whenever I begin my day.It makes memore enthusiastic to tick my checklist one by one and it makes me more daring in interacting with people,” Diccion said. — Infographic by Jonathan Asuncion
