When the mane attraction disappears

I’ve always had a full head of hair. In fact I have forever been deemed a bit on the hairy side by my friends and family even as a child. I’m not just talking body and facial hair. I had an insanely thick mop of hair on top of my head with a really low hairline to boot. Barbers have been trimming my sideburns since I was five. I still recall having my barber shave the baby hair off my forehead each time I got a haircut just to get a smooth, clean hairline. Through the years I’ve had to battle with my hair’s texture having to get a haircut every two weeks, asking the stylist to thin and texturize my hair the best he can and having to apply lots of hair product just to avoid a bad case of “hair pie” and take the bulk out of my thick ‘do. You see, my dad has always had thick hair and to this day he still does, so I’ve always been confident that hair loss would never be a problem for me.

Then I hit my late twenties and bam. Things started to change.

In recent years I’ve noticed a huge difference in the texture of my hair especially on my forehead area. Maybe I’m just paranoid but my hairline does seem to be receding as we speak. Comparing photos I have of myself in my teens with my early twenties I could still afford to wear my bangs brushed up and messy, but today I wear my bangs flat down and asymmetric since I’m slowly starting to get conscious about the corners of my hairline. Plus it doesn’t take as much product now to weigh my hair down (which is a good thing, but it does concern me that my hair, could slowly be thinning out on me.) Incidentally a few friends of mine have been reading my contributing articles for YStyle and requested that I do a feature article on hair loss, a topic which concerns a lot of men and myself, and something that we all have to face head-on.

Baldness means the lack of hair where it commonly grows, especially on the top of the head. The main form of baldness is a gradual hair-thinning condition called androgenic alopecia or “male pattern baldness” that happens in adult men. Hair falls in a clear pattern, starting above both temples. The hairline recedes to create a distinctive “M” shape. Hair also thins at the crown of the head, frequently advancing to partial or complete baldness. Studies show that this type of hair loss is connected to hormones called androgens, mainly an androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Research also shows that male-pattern baldness is primarily X-linked and is inherited from the maternal side of the family (My lolo on my mom’s side was bald) so it’s best to look at your mom’s side of the family to see if thinning hair runs in the family.

Hair loss has some very surprising psychological effects especially on the self-esteem of men. Some adjust well to the condition, opting to shave their heads completely (which I swear I will do in the future because it’s so much cooler than trying to cover it up) while others fall into a state of depression, anxiety and fear of being seen in public.

Apparently it is easier to avert the obvious “aging” and falling out of hair than to regrow hair in follicles that are already inactive. Treatments of all kinds such as finasteride (marketed in the US as Propecia) and minoxidil (marketed in the US as Rogaine) are available out there today. There are three rules called “The Three P’s” which are considered essential in winning the battle against hair loss. The Three P’s are: proven treatments first, take pictures, and be patient. The standard hair loss treatment takes a minimum of six months before you see any visible results, and occasionally up to two years to really see the most favorable results. Reversing hair loss requires patience because of hair cycles. The development of hair loss is the progression of “miniaturization,” which takes several years. Hair grows, cycles into dormancy, and then grows again months later. Every time hairs grow again, they appear thinner, shorter, and less pigmented. As time passes they become so small that they seem to vanish which takes many years. New hair grows in a two or three year cycle thus making success of treatments only detectable with use of over a year or more.

Companies such as Svenson offer scalp corrective treatments that thoroughly cleanse the scalp, eliminating dandruff, persistent flakes and other scalp irritations, providing an ideal environment for improved hair growth. They also strengthen follicles and lessen hair fall to stop the threat of hairloss. Kérastase Intervention Antichute A L’Aminexil, a six-week daily anti-hair loss program is a massage treatment that combines two patented and proven effective molecules to strengthen follicles and enhance hair density. The Amenixil molecule prevents collagen from hardening and increases hair’s lifespan. Gluco-Lipid is a nutro-energizing molecule and nourishes the roots to stimulate healthy and improved growth of hair. It comes in vials and is distributed section by section. L’Oréal Professionnel’s salon service called Age Densiforce Power Density — a concentrate of Omega 6 — restores hair’s lost vitality to give it body and thickness. The concentrate also fuses with Polyphenols or green tea extract that coats the hair to protect it from free radicals and further aging. After the application of Power Density, hair immediately feels thicker.

The key to avoiding the stress of hair loss is prevention, but I’ve also learned that one way to deal with it is to accept change and embrace it. I’m making the most of my hair now that I still have a lot of it. I will continue to play with it and style it however I see fit. Because years from now when I find that my hairline is beyond repair and the classic comb-over is not the look of choice for me, I’d rather go completely bald.