Thinning hair is a problem that is difficult to discuss with others.
First of all, many people think that they can somehow improve their hair on their own while covering it with the rest of their hair so that people do not know about it.
However, if the thinning hair is caused by Male pattern boldness (AGA), it is difficult to cure it spontaneously. There are two types of thinning hair: those that can be managed on one’s own and those that cannot.
We will explain in an easy-to-understand manner how to identify thinning hair that can be managed on one’s own and thinning hair that should be treated at a hospital.
Thinning hair symptoms and causes in adult men are featured in this article.
この記事で説明する内容は？
- No one has ever been Cured of Male pattern boldness (AGA) spontaneously
- What causes Thinning hair that can be treated with Self-care?
- Temporary changes in hormonal balance
- Unbalanced diet
- Ultra-violet rays
- Lack of sleep
- Drinking and smoking
- Shampoo or hair care products are not suitable for the scalp
- Wearing a hat/helmet for extended periods of time
- Stress
- Postpartum hair removal
- Traction alopecia
- Diseases of skin and internal organs, medications
- Alopecia areata is also Difficult to Cure by Yourself
- 6 reasons why you should get a Diagnosis at the hospital as soon as possible
- How to Diagnose the cause of Thinning hair at a Male pattern boldness (AGA) hospital
- If you suffer from Thinning hair, consult an AGA clinic first.
Kentaro Kato, Hospital director of Osaka AGA Kato Clinic group, specializing in comprehensive hair treatment.
We specialize in cutting-edge treatments for a variety of clinically proven effective treatments for thinning hair and hair loss.
Graduated from Faculty of Medicine, Kinki University in 2001
Worked at plastic surgery of Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital as an anesthesiologist from 2001 to 2005.
Worked as a head of plastic surgery at major cosmetic surgery, Hair Transplant Department from 2005 to 2011.
Opened Osaka AGA Kato Clinic in 2011.
Japan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Regular Member.
The Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine, Regular Member.
World Academy of Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine, Regular Member.
No one has ever been Cured of Male pattern boldness (AGA) spontaneously
Thinning hair caused by Male pattern boldness (AGA) rarely resolves spontaneously and completely; the risk of developing Male pattern boldness (AGA) is increased because it primarily involves the male hormone dihydrotestosterone, and genetic factors also play a role.
If Male pattern boldness (AGA) is diagnosed, hair loss and thinning will progress slowly but steadily without proper treatment.
The following article explains how to perform a self-check for early signs of Male pattern boldness (AGA).
On the other hand, specialized treatment can reduce the progression of symptoms and increase hair volume. In fact, many people have succeeded in thickening their hair and restoring sufficient hair volume through Male pattern boldness (AGA) treatment.
Immediately after treatment begins, “initial hair loss” may occur, which is a temporary worsening of symptoms. However, this is a normal reaction, followed by gradual improvement. Specifically, improvement peaks roughly six months to a year later. Subsequent treatments are aimed at maintaining the improvement achieved.
For more information on Male pattern boldness (AGA), its symptoms, countermeasures, and how to treat it, please see the following article.
What happens if I stop Male pattern boldness (AGA) treatment?
Male pattern boldness (AGA) is a progressive alopecia, and its symptoms gradually worsen with age. If treatment is stopped, thinning hair symptoms are extremely likely to progress.
Male pattern boldness (AGA) can be treated in a wide variety of ways, among which medication is widely employed. In particular, drugs that inhibit the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is involved in the progression of Male pattern boldness (AGA), and drugs that activate blood circulation to the hair follicles are commonly used in combination.
To control Male pattern boldness (AGA) symptoms and slow its progression, drugs that inhibit DHT production must essentially be taken continuously. If treatment is stopped halfway through, the thinning of the hair may revert back to its original state.
The goal of Male pattern boldness (AGA) treatment is to increase the amount of hair and maintain it through the use of medication and other means. This means that treatment must be continued as long as you want your hair to grow.
Can Male pattern boldness (AGA) medications be reduced?
If blood circulation is promoted through lifestyle improvement and appropriate exercise, the amount of medication that activates blood circulation can be reduced. If a certain hair-growing effect can be observed, the strength of the medication can be adjusted under the guidance of the doctor to confirm its effectiveness.
Through consultation with a doctor, especially if the hair regrowth effect has been observed, it is possible to consider reducing the dosage of the medication while maintaining the effect. For example, with the combination therapy of finasteride and minoxidil (topical medication), the minoxidil dose could be reduced in stages and eventually discontinued.
However, do not reduce the dosage of your medication without your doctor’s guidance. This is because such action may cause rapid progression of thinning hair. Even if you are considering discontinuing your medication, it is strongly recommended that you proceed with that decision in consultation with your doctor.
What causes Thinning hair that can be treated with Self-care?
Thinning hair that can be cured is when the scalp, hair, or hair follicles are temporarily damaged by lifestyle disturbances or changes, such as the following;
- Temporary changes in hormonal balance
- Unbalanced diet
- Ultra-violet rays
- Lack of sleep
- Drinking and smoking
- Shampoo or hair care products are not suitable for the scalp
- Wearing a hat/helmet for extended periods of time
- Stress
- Postpartum hair removal
- Traction alopecia
- Diseases of skin and internal organs, medications
Temporary changes in hormonal balance
Temporary hormonal imbalances can cause thinning hair.
The human body secretes a variety of hormones that affect the body and mind.
Even small changes in hormone secretion can affect the body and mind and cause thinning hair.
Hormone secretion can change for a variety of reasons, including certain diseases, stress, and aging.
In men, excessive secretion of male hormones can lead to increased sebum production, which can worsen the scalp environment and result in thinning hair.
In women, a decrease in estrogen (female hormone) secretion due to aging or certain diseases may adversely affect hair growth.
In addition to progressive thinning hair = Male pattern boldness (AGA), which will be discussed later, thinning hair can also develop due to temporary hormonal changes.
Unbalanced diet
It is not uncommon for a poor diet to lead to thinning hair.
When food intake is reduced due to unreasonable dieting or illness, nutrients necessary for the production of keratin, an amino acid that makes hair, are in short supply.
In particular, protein, the source of hair, and minerals such as zinc, which synthesize hair, are essential.
In addition, eating a lot of fatty foods such as convenience foods and snacks may cause excessive sebum secretion, resulting in thinning hair.
The excessive secretion of sebum on the scalp can block the pores and cause a condition called seborrheic alopecia.
It is important to keep pores clean at all times, especially during the summer months, when bacteria and other organisms tend to multiply in the pores.
An unbalanced nutritional balance inhibits hair growth and consequently increases the risk of thinning hair.
An unbalanced diet can also lead to hormonal imbalances, which in turn can lead to thinning hair.
Ultra-violet rays
The scalp and hair are damaged by ultraviolet rays.
In particular, the scalp and hair are usually exposed to more than twice as much UV radiation as the face.
Each of the hair and scalp has different effects on the human body.
- UV-A
It can reach the dermis through the epidermis of the skin and damage hair matrix cells and hair follicle stem cells.
There is also a hidden danger of premature aging of the skin.
- UV-B
It is the strongest ultraviolet rays reaching the ground.
So the damage shows up faster, damaging epidermal cells and DNA.
It is necessary to know correctly how UV rays affect the hair on the head, and then to take effective UV measures.
The types of UV rays that cause damage to hair and effective UV countermeasures are explained in detail in the following article.
Lack of sleep
When sleep deprivation occurs, the secretion of growth hormone decreases.
Sleep is said to have a variety of important functions, such as resting the body and mind, relieving general fatigue, and regulating disorders.
In the body, growth hormone is secreted during sleep, and cell division actively occurs.
Hair growth is maintained by the division of hair matrix cells under the influence of growth hormone.
When sleep is inadequate, the division of hair matrix cells does not occur actively and hair growth is inhibited.
The highest amount of growth hormone is secreted after 90 minutes of sleep.
Therefore, it is very important to maintain a good sleep condition for a long time.
The following article explains how to get good sleep to improve the condition of your head of hair.
Drinking and smoking
Excessive alcohol consumption consumes nutrients, vitamins, and minerals necessary for hair growth and development.
In addition, the physical problems caused by excessive alcohol consumption can damage the liver and other major internal organs.
Smoking also causes vasoconstriction of the blood vessels, which can impede hair growth and thinning of the hair.
Shampoo or hair care products are not suitable for the scalp
In some cases, using hair care products, such as shampoos that do not suit your scalp type or shampoos that are too strong in cleaning power, can increase the risk of thinning hair.
Even products that say on their packaging that they are good for thinning hair may not actually be suitable for your scalp.
For example, if your skin is dry and weak, but you use a strong detergent shampoo.
If a person with a lot of sebum continues to use a weak detergent shampoo, dirt may not be removed and build up, causing eczema.
Hair care that is not suited to the body’s constitution can also cause pores to become blocked by dandruff.
The condition in which dandruff causes hair follicles to lose hair without normal hair-growing activity is called pityriasis alba.
When washing hair, do not scrub the scalp hard with fingernails or fingertips.
Scrubbing with a towel when drying hair can also be harmful to the hair and scalp. For more information on how to shampoo your hair and how to choose the best shampoo for thinning hair, please see the following article.
Wearing a hat/helmet for extended periods of time
Wearing a hat or helmet for long periods of time can irritate the scalp, causing hair loss and thinning.
Wearing a hat so hot and sweaty that it becomes stuffy is also not good for the scalp.
Both hats and innerwear used inside helmets should be washed frequently to keep them clean.
Stress
Chronic stress can negatively affect hair growth.
Prolonged exposure to high levels of stress can disrupt hormonal balance and the autonomic nervous system.
The sympathetic autonomic nervous system is necessary to keep the body and mind active.
However, when the sympathetic nervous system becomes more dominant than necessary, the body and mind are unable to rest.
This can result in thinning hair due to poor blood circulation.
In addition, when the sympathetic nervous system is dominant during sleep, the quality of sleep is reduced.
Mental stress can lead to a disease called trichotillomania, a hair loss habit (trichotillomania) in which one pulls one’s own hair out.
This condition is said to occur mainly in childhood.
It does not improve even after adulthood, and the stress of the condition causes people to unconsciously pull out their own hair.
The hair loss habit is an alopecia that requires psychological care.
Postpartum hair removal
Hair loss after childbirth is a common disease, also known as postpartum alopecia.
This is a symptom of rapid hair loss and thinning of hair due to a sudden return to normal after childbirth of the female hormones that were produced in high levels during pregnancy.
It is said that about 70% of women who have given birth experience postpartum hair loss.
However, most recover spontaneously about 6 months to 1 year after childbirth.
After that, things will return to normal, so there is no need to worry too much.
For more information on the causes and treatment of postpartum hair loss, please see the following article.
https://kato-aga-clinic.com/aga-lab/en-delivery/Traction alopecia
Traction alopecia is relatively common among women.
Hair loss is caused by the load placed on the hair follicles when hair is tied up with an elastic, scrunchy, etc.
Be careful if you have a fixed hairstyle at work and wear the same hairstyle every day, or if you pull hard on your hair to make it stiff.
Diseases of skin and internal organs, medications
Bacteria can enter the weakened skin and cause inflammation and hair loss due to the following;
- Skin disease
- Atopic eczema
- Allergy symptoms
Thinning hair can also be caused by medical conditions such as abnormal thyroid function or diabetes mellitus.
Medications to treat illnesses can also cause hair loss.
If you suddenly experience severe hair loss, look back to see if there is any other physical condition besides hair loss or if you have any idea what medication you are taking.
Alopecia areata is also Difficult to Cure by Yourself
Alopecia areata is a circular or oval-shaped area of hair loss on the head.
It is also called “10-yen baldness” because it is generally considered to be the size of a 10-yen coin.
There are cases of alopecia areata the size of a 10-yen coin, and there are also severe cases of alopecia that spread over the entire head or cause all the hair on the body to fall out.
Alopecia areata does not generally mean hair loss the size of a 10-yen coin.
Alopecia areata is a form of alopecia that has yet to elucidate the mechanism of its onset and treatment.
In the past, it was believed to be caused by stress, but recently the theory that alopecia areata is caused by an abnormality in the autoimmune function is gaining ground.
For more information on the causes and treatment of alopecia areata, please refer to the following article.
6 reasons why you should get a Diagnosis at the hospital as soon as possible
Having a doctor at an Male pattern boldness (AGA) treatment clinic diagnose whether the condition can be treated on its own is a shortcut to improving thinning hair.
If you are concerned about thinning hair at this point, treat and deal with the problem as early as possible.
Do not waste your time with private treatments and self-diagnosis that have unclear scientific policies and evidence.
After diagnosis, you should check and respond to whether your thinning hair can be cured by self-care such as lifestyle improvement.
Reasons why you should do so include;
- Male pattern boldness (AGA) is progressive
- Hair cycle has limits
- The more serious it is, the more expensive it is to treat
- Male pattern boldness (AGA) drugs imported from abroad are dangerous
- Male pattern boldness (AGA) can be diagnosed by genetic testing
Male pattern boldness (AGA) is progressive
If you have Male pattern boldness (AGA), which is the most common example of thinning hair, it is progressive. Of course, it is understandable that you may want to take a few months of self-care and if there is no improvement, you may want to visit a hospital.
However, if you have Male pattern boldness (AGA) or any other thinning hair condition that cannot be treated on your own, it may be too late after a few months of self-care treatment.
In other words, Male pattern boldness (AGA) will certainly progress unless treated.
Early treatment is necessary to slow the progression of thinning hair caused by Male pattern boldness (AGA) as much as possible.
Hair cycle has limits
The cycle of hair from birth to shedding is called the hair cycle. The hair cycle is different for each individual hair, and each hair replaces itself in approximately two to six year cycles.
The hair cycle does not repeat itself indefinitely during a lifetime.
It seems to come to an end after about 15 to 20 cycles.
Thinning hair shortens the hair cycle, and once the hair follicles die, they will never grow hair again.
Therefore, it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible to normalize the hair cycle.
The more serious it is, the more expensive it is to treat
In most cases, if it was Male pattern boldness (AGA), medication treatment will only take a few months to six months. However, if the extent or degree of hair loss becomes too extensive, improvement becomes more difficult with medication.
In some cases, hair transplantation may be necessary.
Depending on the extent of hair transplantation, the surgery often costs several hundred thousand yen to several million yen.
From the standpoint of cost, it is important to start hair loss treatment as early as possible.
For more information on hair transplant treatment methods and costs, please see the following article.
Male pattern boldness (AGA) drugs imported from abroad are dangerous
The most dangerous self-directed hair loss treatment practice is the use of imported Male pattern boldness (AGA) medications. Use of foreign Male pattern boldness (AGA) medications can lead to serious health problems.
Male pattern boldness (AGA) medications from overseas differ in “concentration” from Japanese AGA medications.
The concentration of Male pattern boldness (AGA) medicines from overseas is said to be about 4 times higher than that of Japanese AGA medicines.
It is dangerous to easily get your hands on imported Male pattern boldness (AGA) medicines sold on the Internet, as this is the most dangerous act of self-judgment.
For those who are considering thinning hair medications because “it’s cheaper to import from overseas,” here is an advice article weighing the price difference and risks
Male pattern boldness (AGA) can be diagnosed by genetic testing
Recently, clinics can analyze your genes to determine if you have the constitution to have thinning hair.
We recommend that you first understand your constitution and then take measures to prevent thinning hair.
For more information on the credibility of Male pattern boldness (AGA) genetic testing, please refer to the following article.
How to Diagnose the cause of Thinning hair at a Male pattern boldness (AGA) hospital
Male pattern boldness (AGA) treatment clinics provide treatment in the following order;
- Counseling
- Medical examination by a doctor
- Blood test, blood pressure measurement, hair gene test
- Hair loss treatment at Male pattern boldness (AGA) treatment clinics begins with a “consultation”
Thinning hair can be caused by a variety of factors, so it is very important to understand the patient’s thinning hair problem and living environment.
In addition, genetic testing can determine whether a family has a family history of thinning hair or genetic traits that predispose to Male pattern boldness (AGA).
The following article explains the method of genetic testing, its certainty, and how it can be used.
If you have thinning hair that can be treated on your own, and if it is still mild, be patient and self-improve by correcting lifestyle disorders.
If you have Male pattern boldness (AGA) or alopecia areata, start thinning hair treatment under the guidance of a doctor as soon as possible.
Can I just go to a general dermatologist?” For those who wonder, the difference between a general dermatologist and a Male pattern boldness (AGA) treatment clinic is explained in this article.
If you suffer from Thinning hair, consult an AGA clinic first.
Male pattern boldness (AGA), unfortunately, will not improve with private treatment or self-effort. In any case, hair loss treatment is a race against time.
Nowadays, safe treatment methods using oral medication have been established.
Many Male pattern boldness (AGA) clinics are introducing “online treatment” to reduce the burden of patient visits as much as possible. Osaka AGA Kato Clinic also promotes online treatment.
Please assess the condition of your scalp and hair as soon as possible and start treatment if necessary.
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