Why is Hair Loss a Problem? - Hair Loss & Hair Transplant Surgery Guide

Why is male-pattern baldness a problem?

It may sound like an obvious question, but it is worth considering a little more deeply. After all, why should male-pattern baldness be a problem? It is not a life-threatening condition. It is not even a symptom of a more debilitating condition. It is simply a fact of life.

For many men, male-pattern baldness is not a problem at all. Many men lose their hair and, apart from perhaps worrying about how they look occasionally, they do not really think much more about it. Don’t forget, male-pattern baldness is a fairly common condition too. Around two thirds of all men will be affected by male-pattern baldness during their lives. In the UK, that adds up to just over seven million men who are going a bit thin on top.

So there’s no illness to worry about. And there is safety in numbers  - it isn’t as though your baldness is really going to make you stand out from the crowd. So why does male-pattern baldness cause so much worry and anxiety? Why are there so many products and treatments available? Why is there such a huge industry dedicated to finding new ways to treat such a harmless condition?

Loss of self-esteem

One of the most significant issues surrounding male-pattern baldness is that it can lead some men to suffer a dramatic loss of self-esteem. Male-pattern baldness can affect some men in the late teens or early twenties – so the sense of anxiety can be greatly heightened in these sorts of cases.

Similarly, the anxiety and loss of self-esteem that can sometimes occur with male-pattern baldness can develop into something more serious. For example, men with suffer extreme anxiety about their condition can develop agoraphobia. It can affect both their personal and professional lives, making it difficult to form relationships and for men to see themselves as attractive to others.

A growing industry

The other problem with male-pattern baldness is that, in the past, it has been seen as unimportant in medical circles. This is because it is not a dangerous or life-threatening condition. As we have seen, however, the loss of hair is sometimes only the visible aspect of the anxiety and psychological issues that lie beneath it.

The by-product of this is that a fast-growing industry has developed around male-pattern baldness that can sometimes take the place of good quality medical advice. A condition such as male-pattern baldness can be difficult to talk about, especially if you are suffering from low self-esteem. Therefore, many men see products or treatments that make great claims for success as preferable to visiting a doctor.  With nearly seven million balding men in the UK, you can see that there are huge opportunities to make a profit.

Getting treatment

Of course, there are good treatments available that are proven to be effective in a large number of cases. But, if you look at the number of products available on the market, you might be surprised to discover that there are actually only two drugs that have been approved by the FDA: Minoxidil and Finasteride. You can find out much more about those two treatments elsewhere on this site.

Many men do successfully treat their male-pattern baldness. Don’t forget, there is no actual cure as such and most of the treatments are temporary – so if you stop using a particular product, it is likely that your hair will begin to thin again. However, if the treatment works, many men find that they can thicken their existing hair enough so as to maintain their confidence and feel good about themselves. 

Your starting point if you are considering treatment should always be to visit your doctor. Your doctor will be able to advise you on which treatments are proven to work, how successful they are and what sorts of results you can expect to see. This, at the very least, will mean you don’t waste money on products that are not right for you.

Dealing with male-pattern baldness

Because many of the problems surrounding male-pattern baldness are psychological, some choose to tackle these issues rather than the condition itself. Changes in your physical appearance can be difficult to come to terms with, especially when they are beyond your control. If you gain weight, you can diet. If you are unfit, you can exercise. However, if you have male-pattern baldness, sometimes the best approach is simply to try and come to terms with it.

So if you want to feel better about being bald, what do you need to do? First and foremost, you need to accept it. Learning more about your condition will probably help. It is easier to live with baldness once you are assured that it does not conceal any deeper health issues. You can discover plenty more information about the condition on this site. Male-pattern baldness is a perfectly natural aspect of growing older. For many men, it becomes a sign of added maturity and judgement.

The second step in dealing with male-pattern baldness is to stop thinking about it. The issues are not really about your lack of hair. They are about your lack of self-esteem. So it could help to take up some activities that help you feel good about yourself again. It could be that trying a new hobby or learning a new skill helps. Anything that allows you to focus on your natural abilities will help you to rebuild your self-confidence.

Ultimately, how you deal with male-pattern baldness will be up to you. Some men bite the bullet, shave their remaining hair off completely and just get on with life. Others head for the opposite extreme and something like hair transplant surgery – one operation and they could have a full head of hair again.

Others apply treatments to their hair and scalp every day in the hope that they can stave off baldness. While some men are successful, the question is really whether combating baldness in this way will ever really treat the psychological problems underneath. If you are continually fighting to keep your hair, will you ever really be able to get on with other things? And if you are always worrying about how much of your hair you’re losing, how will you ever regain your self-confidence?

Everybody feels different about male-pattern baldness. Good luck in finding the treatment that works for you!