A few years ago, after this conversation with a friend, I noticed that my crown had started to thin. At first, I tried to hide it by keeping my hair as high as possible but it was tough to maintain and I quickly got bored so I opted for a low cut not realising how much my crown had thinned. My friend, however, did notice it…and reacted to it. I laughed it off and even made a snapchat about it but deep down I was burning - thin crowns and hair loss was something I had only ever associated with my dad and the older generation. That evening, I remember laying in bed wondering what was causing my hair loss so I did some research and found out a few things, some of which I want to share with you.
Firstly, it’s important to note, hair loss is normal. It is estimated that we lose between 50 - 100 hairs a day without taking any notice of it. Why then, is it more pronounced in some of us? There are several different types of hair loss, also known as alopecia, some of which include:
· Involutional alopecia: a natural condition where the hair thins as you get older and the rate of growth slows down.
· Androgenic alopecia: also known as male pattern baldness, although it can affect women too. It can begin as early as teen years or early 20s. It is a genetic condition that is characterised by a receding hairline, gradual disappearance of the hair from the crown and frontal scalp. Does this sound familiar? Better blame mummy and daddy!
Other types of alopecia include areata and alopecia universalis.
In addition to these, the following are 5 reasons as to why you may be losing your hair:
1. Genetics- As previously mentioned, your parents could be the reason for this. It is estimated that up to 95% of us guys that suffer with hair loss do so as a result of our genes. Our bodies produce a substance called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which is a male steroid hormone that plays an important role in making us men. It is also the primary culprit for hair loss. It is believed that some people are more susceptible to its effects on hair loss than others. So why can’t we just block it to prevent or reverse hair loss? We will cover more on this in another blog post soon.
2. Diet- The truth is many of us eat a lot of rubbish, myself included, in fact as I am typing this now, I have just ordered a large dominos pizza. Studies have shown that a diet lacking in iron and protein can affect the rate of hair growth. Conversely excessive consumption of Vitamin A can trigger hair loss, thankfully this is reversible. Take home message: eat more fish and meat or any good source of vegan/veggie protein and take an iron supplement if you suffer with anaemia.
3. Stress- Extreme physical and emotional stress can cause hair to shed more rapidly than normal and can affect the rate of hair growth. It is no secret that our generation faces more pressure to succeed than previous years and this does take its physical and emotional toll. Thankfully once the stress is alleviated, one can expect recovery of hair regrowth in 3-6 months but if you don’t want to wait that long… It is important that we men take steps to look after our emotional well being, join the gym, meditate, do whatever is healthy and necessary to alleviate the stresses of life. Turns out this was my issue, in combination with genetics.
4. Medication- This is one reason that I deal with on a regular basis as a pharmacist, some drugs used in cancer treatment and blood pressure control can cause reversible hair loss. I often have to stress to my patients the importance of them adhering to their treatment and the temporary nature of the hair loss. Maybe from now on, I’ll just tell them about NewFade, we can sort them out until their hair grows back!
5. Medical conditions- Some medical conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disease, etc, can result in hair loss. Many times the effect of hair loss is reversible when the underlying condition is treated. Remember guys, always consult your GP if you think something is wrong.
Hair loss is such a broad issue and there is such a variety of reasons as to why this may be happening which we will cover in future blog posts. The important thing to note is that guys, we are not alone when it comes to hair loss and we should never feel that way - that’s why NewFade are here, we understand the struggle and we’re here to help.
If you want to find out more about how we are solving hair loss safely and effectively, check out our story here
Cyril (Co-founder @ NewFade, and NHS Pharmacist)
