Male Pattern Baldness & MHT^®

Male Pattern Baldness is a very common form of alopecia, suffered by men of all ages, all ethnicities and all lifestyle patterns.

Whilst Male Pattern Baldness does not discriminate from one type of person to the next, if there is a history of Male Pattern Baldness on either side of the family, genetically programmed receptors could be present in the hair roots of siblings. These receptors attract a hormone called “dihydrotestosterone” (DHT), which is formed by the action of enzymes on testosterone. It is DHT that slows and eventually prevents your hair follicles from producing hair.

Just as our genes determine a myriad of factors, including our sex, height and skin colour, they also determine the characteristics of our hair, including whether or not we will suffer from greying or hair loss at some point in our lives. Furthermore, the extent of the area affected by hair loss is often dependent on the inheritance from one or both parents. In other words if you have a family history of hair loss, it is highly likely that you will also suffer from the condition at some stage.

Male Pattern Baldness is typically manifested as hair loss from the top of the head, whilst growth continues at the back and sides. The ‘horseshoe’ effect is the most common pattern, gradually spreading backwards to leave little or no hair on the top of the head, just a rim of hair around the back and sides. Usually given time, this rim will also thin out and disappear completely.

As with many things in life, losing ones hair is often an assumed inevitability, being just ‘one of those things’ that will surely happen as people get older. For many, baldness really is just ‘one of those things’ that doesn’t bother them very much, or if it does they certainly wouldn’t admit it. If hair loss is accepted by the individual and it doesn’t affect their confidence or have an adverse impact on their lifestyle, then that’s excellent news. Unfortunately for millions of men worldwide, this is not the case. Losing ones hair can have a significant impact on confidence and self-image, and can lead to all sorts of negative assumptions. Here are some of the most common:

“Women don’t find me attractive anymore”

“I look old before my time”

“There is nothing I can do about it”

Hair plays a significant role in defining your image, so it is hardly suprising that sufferers of Male Pattern Baldness often react in this way.

Is there a cure for Male Pattern Baldness?

At present there is no cure for Male Pattern Baldness. Given the revenue potential of any ‘wonder drug’ that may be developed, scientists working for the worlds largest pharmaceutical companies have been working on a cure for decades, and it may be that a cure is found at some point in the near future. For now however, the best advice is to make changes in your hair care routine and overall lifestyle, as this may help minimise or delay the onset of hair loss.

Treat your remaining hair with a bit more respect. Most people are too rough with their hair. It’s better to use a comb, not a brush, and to avoid tightly fitting caps or hats. Hair is more fragile when it’s wet, so handle it with care.

Some shampoos and other hair cosmetics can make your hair look thicker and fuller. Ask your hairdresser for advice.

Short hair minimises the contrast between balding and non-balding areas. Long hair has the reverse effect and is very ageing. It shouldn’t need saying, but combing hair over a bald spot is not a good idea.

Include sufficient protein in your diet, especially if you are vegan or vegetarian (hair loss sometimes starts when people give up meat). Ensure that you do not become anaemic by eating plenty of iron-rich foods like liver, eggs and green vegetables.

Despite the fact that there is no 100% proven cure, there is a wide range of lotions, potions, pills and other treatments that all aim to reduce, prevent and even reverse hair loss. Individual testimonies vary, therefore we advise anyone considering using these treatments to research each one fully before making any decision.

You should also be aware that these products can also cause side effects. Our clients have reported reactions including stomach cramps, itchy scalp, loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. Not all users experience side-effects however, being able to use such products without hindrance.

For more information about some of these products see our Nanogen Nanogaine, Procerin, Propecia and Rogaine pages.

How can MHT^® Scalp Pigmentation help?

If you’ve decided to take action against your hair loss, there are a multitude of options available. At HIS Hair Clinics, we offer MHT^® Scalp Pigmentation that we have used to treat hundreds of hair loss sufferers from all over the world. MHT^® was developed by our founders Ian Watson and Ranbir Rai-Watson to replicate the natural appearance of a short, cropped hairstyle made up of thousands of individual micro-hairs.

For more information about MHT^® please see our Hair Loss Treatment For Men section and our  MHT^® Technique section.

Over several years we have developed and perfected the technique, and we are now widely regarding as the worlds foremost authority on scalp pigmentation techniques as a solution for hair loss. We treat clients at varying stages of Male Pattern Baldness from slight receding to complete hair loss. For further case studies please see our Gallery, or to discuss MHT scalp pigmentation with our past clients please visit our Forum.