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Prevent and Reverse Hair Loss in Men

Hair Loss in Men: A Guide on Prevention and Treatment

Hair loss in men is a very common problem since 85% of men have thinning hair by the time they turn 50 years old. Many men may even start to lose their hair before they hit 21 years old, even though it may not be that noticeable at the time. Alopecia, or hair loss, doesn’t occur due to any medical issue, but it is common to worry about how it affects your looks. There are plenty of hair loss prevention treatments that you can seek to tackle the issue.

What Causes It?

To tackle the issue of hair loss in men, you have to understand why it happens. Almost all of the hair loss in men occurs due to ‘male-pattern baldness.’ This is a genetic trait that comes from a man’s parents. Hair loss from this condition doesn’t reverse on its own.

Some medication, excess of vitamin A, or low protein levels can also cause it. Stress or illness can also lead to heavy and sudden shedding, known as telogen effluvium. Hair loss from such reasons can be reversed.

Hair Loss Prevention

There are some hair loss prevention tips that you can incorporate in your daily life to prevent hair loss in men. They include:

Better diet

Healthier eating habits will lead to fuller hair. Lean protein from fish and lean meats, nuts, seeds, soy, and healthy fats can all provide your hair with the necessary nutrients to stay healthy. Even some spices such as cinnamon can help revitalize your hair.

Stay hydrated

25% of the hair follicles are made of water and turn weak when you are dehydrated.

Take your vitamins

Vitamin deficiency is a primary reason for balding. Maintaining balanced levels of vitamins A, B, C, D, and E can help you maintain healthy hair. 

Avoid tight hairstyles

Tight hairstyles like man buns can put tension on the hair follicles, which causes them to weaken.

Manage stress

Stress is one of the most common contributors to hair loss in men. High levels can cause many different hair loss conditions such as trichotillomania, telogen effluvium, and alopecia areata. Daily exercise, meditating, and deep breathing can help deal with falling and thinning hair.

Limit smoking and drinking

Several studies have discovered links between drinking or smoking and hair loss in men. It can prevent blood flow to the hair follicles, cause dehydration, and result in nutritional deficiencies.

Regular exercise

Exercise will increase overall good health and circulation, which can encourage better hair growth. It is also a stress reliever, and relieving stress is another great method of hair loss prevention.

Get a supplement from a doctor

There are many supplements in the market that claim to help with hair loss prevention. However, it is better to talk to your doctor about which supplement brand is suitable, effective, and safe. Some supplements such as ashwagandha, horny goat etc may even accelerate male pattern baldness.

Diagnosis of Hair Loss in Men

The most important thing to remember is that it is easier to hang on to the hair you have as opposed to growing new hair. However, while exploring your options, it is vital to stay away from sham hair loss treatments like ‘miracle’ products. It is better to seek the help of a doctor in such cases.

The doctor will ask about your medical and family history. They also give physical exams and prescribe any of the following tests to help them make a diagnosis:

Blood tests can help uncover any underlying medical conditions that may be contributing to hair loss in men.

A pull test is where the doctor gently pulls a dozen hairs to see how they come out of the scalp. This can help the doctor narrow down the stage of the shedding process.

A scalp biopsy helps to determine whether there is an infection that is causing the hair loss. The doctor will scrape some of the skin and pluck a few hairs from the scalp to properly examine the roots.

Light microscopy helps to uncover any possible disorders in the shaft of the hair. The doctor will have special instruments that help to examine the hair when it’s trimmed at the base.

Hair Loss Treatments

There are plenty of effective hair loss treatments that you can take to curb hair loss in men. You can slow down thinning or even reverse hair loss completely with some of the treatments below.

Medication

There are some medications that can help you treat any underlying disease that is resulting in hair loss. Doctors can provide you with drugs like prednisone to suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation. Some medications can also cause hair loss, and the doctor can suggest that you stop using it for at least three months to curb the hair loss you are experiencing.

There is also some medication that you can take to slow down male-pattern baldness. Minoxidil is an over the counter hair loss treatment, which has been approved by the FDA. It comes in foam or liquid form, and you will have to apply it to your scalp on a daily basis. It can slow down the extent of hair loss and even help grow some new hair on the scalp. To see any real change and prevent hair loss in men in the future, you will have to use the medication for at least six months.

Another medication that can help handle hair loss is called Finasteride. This prescription drug is taken daily as a pill. It can help slow down hair loss in men and can even result in the growth of new hair. You will have to keep taking the pill for a long time to make sure you retain the benefits. It doesn’t work as well for men over the age of 60 years and may have some rare side effects such as loss of sexual function or drive.

At HEALOR, we will often use custom formulations of hair drops with minoxidil, azelaic acid, finasteride, vitamin E and other ingredients that are available by prescription only and have been researched extensively to improve new hair growth and prevent ongoing hair loss.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for hair loss in men is a three-step medical hair loss treatment. The blood of the person is drawn and processed before it is injected back into the scalp to enhance hair health. The increased blood supply to the hair follicles in the scalp can increase the thickness of the hair shaft. This reduces hair breakage and loss. It is often supplemented with other hair loss treatments and medications.

Hair Transplant

Hair transplant procedures are permanent hair loss treatment. The surgeon will remove small patches of skin at the back of the head and implant the hair follicles to the bald sections in front. You may have to take some medication along with it.

If you have a hair loss problem, there are plenty of hair loss treatments you can try. There is no need to live with the insecurities that may stem from it, as there are treatments that can be availed to deal with this very common issue.

At HEALOR, Dr. Raj Singh MD,FACP,FASN is an expert at managing hair loss and regular travels to train others in the art and science of hair loss treatments.

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Types of Medical Weight Loss

For a lot of people, sticking to a healthy diet regimen and exercising regularly can work wonders. But for many other people, medical intervention may be necessary to help them on their journey to weight loss.

There are many types of medical weight loss methods that people can opt for. Some prefer diet pills or surgeries since they don't require significant lifestyle changes. Others are designed for an overall change in lifestyle, which can be healthier in the long run.

This article is designed to provide you with information on the more popular weight loss techniques and their advantages and disadvantages.

Prescription Medicine

The results from prescription medicine usually depend on the person and the drug they are taking. For the best results, you have to follow an exercise program and diet regimen. This can lead to up to 10% of body weight loss.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several weight loss medications that you can take to speed up the weight loss process.

Contrave

Contrave was introduced to the market by Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. after clinical trials for the weight loss drug were deemed successful. The drug was found to reduce the weight of people by 8% as compared to people taking a placebo in a one-year study. The way Contrave works is that it combines two different drugs: one for depression and smoking and another for opiate and alcohol addiction. This results in the suppression of the body’s cravings for food.

The drugs have been approved by the FDA and the European Union and are commonly available in pharmacies.

Lorcaserin

Lorcaserin is an appetite suppressant that can help you lose at least 5% of your body weight. Most doctors recommend this drug for only 12 weeks. This is because if it doesn’t work for you during that time, it may not work for you at all. It can cause some side effects like fatigue, nausea, dry mouth, headaches, and dizziness.

Orlistat

Orlistat was approved by the FDA in 1999 as a prescription drug Xenical for weight loss. It is also sold as an over the counter medication by the name of Alli. Xenical is taken three times a day, and Alli is taking with any meals that contain fat, up to three times a day.

This drug lowers the amount of fat that your body absorbs by 30%. This means that your body ends up taking in fewer calories. This drug has worked wonders for many people, but it can also cause some digestive problems such as diarrhea, oily stool, gas, or stomach pain. It can also block the absorption of vitamins, which is why many people supplement the drug with multivitamins. It requires changes in a person’s diet for the best results.

Phentermine and Topiramate

Qsymia combines an anti-seizure and an appetite suppressant. Phentermine is usually prescribed for short term use, and you have to pair it with topiramate for long term use. If you haven’t lost around 5% of weight during the first 12 weeks of use, this product may never work for you. Common side effects can include:

·         Taste Changes

·         Dry Mouth

·         Dizziness

·         Anxiety

·         Constipation

·         Diarrhea

·         Fatigue

·         Incontinence

·         Increase in Heart Rate

·         Insomnia

·         Numbness or Tingling in the Hands and Feet

Injections

There are some injections that have lipotropic effects. Some ingredients in these shots include vitamins, amino acids, phentermine, MIC, and L-carnitine. The shots are administered in any area containing fatty tissues such as the arms, thighs, buttocks, and abdomen.

Such injections are often administered in weight loss clinics and medical spas. They are supplemented with diet and exercise plans for the best results. It is important to check the credentials of any weight loss clinic or medical spa before choosing to go to one, since some weight loss clinics may not have doctors on board.

These injections are usually administered weekly over a period of a few weeks. In some cases, doctors may recommend B-12 shots around 2 times a week for fat metabolism and energy. Vitamin shots don't have any side effects since the body passes the excess amounts through urine.

Glucagon and GLP-1 Peptide

Glucagon and GLP-1 Peptide are weekly injections that combine two drugs to target a person’s metabolism and appetite. The injections speed up the metabolism and suppress appetite. The sped-up metabolism means that the breakdown of food is quicker. Together, they work well to target obesity and fat.

Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is also known as metabolic surgery because it can help with weight loss, improve diabetes and other lipid disorders, such as high cholesterol. This type of surgery is mostly used for patients who are significantly overweight and have problems that come from obesity, such as sleep apnea and type-2 diabetes.

Hundreds of thousands of people get these surgeries in America alone. They are really helpful for overweight patients who have trouble exercising because of their weight or have medical issues due to their weight. With effective lifestyles changes, these surgeries can definitely help many people.

People who are above a body mass index of 35 are considered for the procedure.

Liposuction

When people think of liposuction, they often think of large amounts of fat that are sucked out of the body. This is not the way liposuction works since the most a patient can loose from it is 10-12 pounds. It is designed to tone a certain area by removing some fat.

It has been on the decline recently since people can often get the same results with a combination of less invasive procedures and lifestyle changes. Liposuction is mainly a cosmetic procedure used to tone the body as much as a patient likes but doesn’t lead to any significant weight loss.

There are more and more medical weight loss regimens coming about. However, it is important to do proper research on each procedure before you decide to follow any treatment plan. It is also better to incorporate some lifestyle changes so that any weight loss happens in a healthy way.

Let us help you get on the path to health. Visit us today at HEALOR.