It’s a cruel trick of nature, but men often lose the hair on their head while retaining a thick, unsightly mane on their neck, their back, their . . . well, you know. It doesn’t even make sense: Does evolution want you to sunburn your scalp? Should you be applying suntan lotion to your bald spot? (Yes.)
Hair loss, or alopecia, is extremely common and affects both sexes. Men usually start to see extra hair in the brush by their late thirties. Most hair loss can be blamed on genes from both parents; it’s only a myth that hair loss is passed down from your mother’s father.
There are three stages of normal hair growth. Ninety percent of your hair is in the anagen (growth) stage, which can last for years and determines the maximum length of your hair. The rest of your hairs are already in the catagen stage, in which they loosen their grip on their follicles, or telogen (resting) stage, a sort of purgatory that lasts until the hairs finally relocate to your shower drain.
Hair loss is usually a normal part of aging and not a sign of underlying disease. In rare cases, however, it can result from emotional stress, illness, and hormonal changes. So where should the ambulance go—to the hospital or the Hair Club?
Take a Chill Pill
Out with the old and in with the new. It’s normal to shed about a hundred hairs each day. (Please don’t actually count them.) The good news is that it’s also normal to grow about a hundred new hairs each day. As long as losses and gains are balanced, you should still have about 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on your scalp.
You’re bald, look just like your dad (or, worse, just like your mom). Androgenetic alopecia is the official term for male- or female-pattern baldness. It’s most common in white men, about half of whom have hair loss by age fifty. Women usually keep their hair a bit longer, though a third of white women have hair loss by age seventy. Most men lose hair on the top and front of their heads, sparing the sides. Women get a more generalized thinning-out. As described in the Quick Consult, many, many medications and procedures have been created to treat baldness, though results have been mixed. (We have officially deleted our hair plug joke, so as to avoid an interview with the Secret Service.) Another option is hair transplantation surgery, in which healthy hair follicles are transferred from one part of your scalp (or body, if necessary) to a bald spot. If you’re planning to go this route, make sure you see pictures of your doctor’s real past patients so you know what to expect.
You whip your hair back and forth. You can actually lose hair from constantly pulling it, whipping it, swinging it, or just having a tight hairstyle like a ponytail or cornrows. This condition, known as traction alopecia, affects only the portion of hair being tugged. Time to let down your hair and loosen up.