Last Updated on January 16, 2019 by
Have you noticed that your hair is starting to fall out? If you’re starting to lose hair, it’s important to stop your hair loss before it’s too late. Here is your ultimate guide on how to prevent hair loss in men.
Unfortunately, hair loss is something that the majority of American men are forced to deal with at some point in their lives. About two-thirds of men will experience some level of hair loss by the time they hit 35. And by 50, that number jumps all the way up to around 85 percent.
With those statistics in mind, you might be wondering how to stop hair loss in men. Surely, there has to be something you can do to limit the hair loss you’re experiencing, right?
If you wait too long, it can be tough to reverse the effects of hair loss. But if you act quickly, there are some steps you can take to stop hair loss from dragging you down.
What Causes Hair Loss in Men?
Before we take a closer look at how to prevent hair loss in men, it’s important for you to understand why some men go bald or experience thinning hair while others don’t. It’ll help you find the exact cause of your hair loss. The most common cause of hair loss in men is a condition called androgenetic alopecia, which is also known as common male pattern baldness. It accounts for about 95 percent of all hair loss cases in men.
Androgenetic alopecia is a genetic condition that causes an increase in an androgen called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, in your body. DHT will often bind directly to your hair cell receptors and cause many of your hair follicles to either shrink or simply stop doing their job. When this happens, you’ll usually notice that your hair will either thin out or stop growing altogether in certain areas. Most men who have androgenetic alopecia will begin by losing hair near their hairlines or near the crowns of their heads before the condition progresses and causes partial or complete hair loss.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss in men. But it’s not necessarily the only cause. Some of the other common hair loss causes include:
- Hormonal changes within a man’s body tied to thyroid problems
- Certain medical conditions like alopecia areata
- Side effects caused by medications used to treat cancer, depression, high blood pressure, and more
- Stress
The key to learning how to prevent balding is figuring out what’s causing the hair loss in the first place. From there, you can take steps to stop hair loss from impacting you. Continue reading to see some of the ways you can go about preventing hair loss from getting any worse than it already is.
How to Prevent Hair Loss in Men: The Top 7 Most Important Things You Can Do
1. Consider Using Hair Loss Treatment Products
If you’ve tried to prevent hair loss in a bunch of other ways and come up empty, don’t lose hope! There are tons of hair loss treatment products that could produce real results for you. There are hair loss shampoos containing ketoconazole that have worked for some men. There are also hair loss products containing minoxidil, which is one of the few medications that has been scientifically proven to combat hair loss. Another medication with a scientific track record is Propecia. Propecia lowers levels of DHT in the body, which is the primary antagonist that causes hair loss. When it comes to how to stop hair fall for men, Propecia (finasteride) is probably your best chance.
Minoxidil the Active Ingredient in Rogaine
Hair transplant surgery might also be an option for some men. It all depends on how bad your hair loss is and how your individual body responds to the treatments you try.
2. Eat Foods That Will Promote Hair Growth
One of the things that all men should do to promote healthy hair growth and limit hair loss is eating the right foods. There are lots of foods that can work wonders for your hair and make it look thicker and fuller over time. If you’re not getting enough lean protein into your diet at this time, you should make that a priority. The lean protein found in fish and many lean meats will promote hair growth in most men.
You should also look to eat more foods that contain vitamin E and the healthy fats your hair needs to stay soft. You can find vitamin E and healthy fats in foods like seeds and nuts. There are even certain spices that you can incorporate into your diet to help with hair growth. For example, cinnamon has been shown to provide your hair with the nutrients and oxygen it needs to flourish.
3. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Vitamins
Ideally, your diet should be providing you with all the vitamins your body needs to grow hair. But if you’re not taking in enough of certain vitamins, consider taking supplements that will bring the vitamin levels up in your body.
Here are several vitamins you might want to think about taking if hair loss has become a problem for you:
- Vitamin A, which plays a role in the synthesis of the retinoic acid in your hair follicles
- Vitamin B, which can bring down your body’s stress levels and stop stress from causing hair loss from occurring
- Vitamin E, which, as we mentioned earlier, can keep your hair soft and healthy
These vitamins alone will probably not prevent hair loss in men. But they will work to keep you healthier overall and give your body the nutrients it needs to manage hair growth.
An Example of a Hair Vitamin Supplement
4. Stay Hydrated at All Times
There are so many benefits that come along with making sure you’re drinking enough water each and every day. Hydration can help improve your cardiovascular health. It can also regulate your body temperature and rid your body of toxins. And as it turns out, hydration may also be beneficial to those experiencing hair loss.
Roughly 25 percent of the hair follicles on your head are made up of water. When you don’t hydrate your body enough, those hair follicles can become dehydrated and very weak. That can slow hair growth down and potentially lead to hair loss. While simply staying hydrated isn’t going to reverse hair loss on its own, it never hurts to drink more water – a natural solution – on a daily basis.
5. Steer Clear of Certain Hairstyles
Traction alopecia is a hair loss condition that has traditionally affected a lot of women who wear their hair pulled back in ponytails or pulled up in tight buns. When their hair is constantly under extreme tension, it can do damage to their hair follicles.
This condition is starting to take a toll on many men, too. More and more men are wearing “man buns” and other hairstyles that call on them to pull their hair tight. Some of these men are then dealing with hair loss issues due to their hairstyle choices. Not all men will experience hair loss as a result of their hairstyle. But it’s certainly something men should look out for if they choose to wear “man buns” and other hairstyles that put stress on their hair follicles.
6. Manage Your Stress More Effectively
Stress is something that affects almost all Americans these days. About 80 percent of people report that their jobs leave them feeling stressed out on a regular basis. All this stress could be causing some of your hair to fall out. Increased stress levels in your body can cause conditions like telogen effluvium and alopecia areata if you’re not careful.
The good news is that stress-related hair loss is usually reversible. By managing your stress better and reducing stress by meditating or practicing deep breathing exercises, you can lower your stress levels by leaps and bounds. But if you don’t do anything to combat your stress, it could cause more of your hair to fall out over time. And eventually, stress could make it almost impossible for you to reverse the effects of hair loss.
7. Avoid Drinking Too Much Alcohol and Smoking Cigarettes
Drinking too much alcohol and smoking cigarettes can have a big impact on various parts of your body. Your liver, your lungs, and many of your other organs will be affected by alcohol and cigarettes over the long term. There also may be a connection between alcohol abuse, smoking and hair loss. While studies are still being conducted on the possible connection, it’s one more reason to limit your alcohol intake and stop smoking altogether.
The thought is that drinking too much alcohol may result in hair loss by:
- Causing nutrient deficiencies in your body
- Dehydrating your body
- Making it difficult for your body to absorb protein
- Affecting your thyroid and throwing your hormone levels out of whack
Additionally, the thought is that smoking may put toxins into your body that damage both your hair follicles and your hormones. As of right now, there is no concrete evidence to prove the link between alcohol and smoking and hair loss. But it’s something that you should certainly keep in mind if you worry about hair loss.
Why It’s Important to Learn How to Stop Hair Loss in Men
Learning how to stop hair from falling out in men will do more than just give you your hair back. It’ll also give you your confidence back and help you avoid depression and other side effects of hair loss. If your hair isn’t as full as it used to be, use the steps listed here to try and grow some of it back. At the very least, you may be able to bring hair loss to a screeching halt and stop it from affecting you further.
Check out our top treatments section for hair loss product reviews, tips on slowing hair loss, and more.
