Hair loss affects many men. In fact, up to 85 per cent of men will experience some hair thinning by the time they reach the age of 50. Meanwhile, around 60 per cent will lose some of their hair by this age. But just because it’s common, that doesn’t mean it’s something you’ll be happy to embrace.
While plenty of men are comfortable going bald, many others struggle when they notice they are losing their hair. It can be hard to know where to turn for advice too, given that there are so many myths online about what causes hair loss and what you can do to reverse it.
The truth is there are some very effective medications to combat male hair loss, such as the drug finasteride, but there is also a great deal of misinformation out there. We thought we’d take X of the most common myths about male hair loss to help you spot the useful information about the condition.
- Losing your hair is just part of getting older
While it’s true that hair loss occurs more frequently as you age, that doesn’t mean it has to be part of your future. In fact, many treatments for hair loss are designed to prevent further loss rather than help the hair regrow. This means the sooner you are able to start treatment, the better.
Of course, some men start losing their hair in their 20s, or even earlier. So, hair loss as you age is not a hard and fast rule. That said, it is certainly worth taking care of your hair as you get older, as this can help strengthen and protect it.
- If your dad lost his hair, you’ll definitely lose yours too
While it’s true that there is a genetic link to male pattern baldness (MPB), if your father lost his hair that doesn’t guarantee that yours will go the same way.
Research shows that if your father experienced MPB, you are twice as likely to lose your hair as you age as someone whose father kept a full head of hair. Your maternal grandfather is also a good indicator of how much hair you are likely to lose, with a strong genetic link coming from your mother’s side of the family.
So, while your genetics certainly have an impact on your propensity for hair loss, it isn’t guaranteed that if you have MPB in your family that you’ll suffer the same fate.
- Wearing hats all the time can make you lose your hair
This is one of those myths that’s been around for years, but it has no grounding in truth. You won’t suddenly see your hair starting to fall out if you wear caps all summer and beanies all winter.
Hats and other head coverings don’t “suffocate” the roots of your hair or rub the scalp leading to hair loss.
- Taking a creatine supplement can cause hair loss
As Men’s Health highlighted recently, taking a creatine supplement is not directly linked to hair loss. The myth stemmed from a 2009 study which found men taking creatine saw an increase in a hormone that is associated with hair loss – dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
However, as the article pointed out, while the men in the study experienced higher levels of DHT, none of them experienced hair loss as a result. In fact, exercise physiologist Jose Antonio told the publication that the men in the study had lower base levels of DHT than the control group when they started the trial.
So, in short, while their DHT levels increased, they stayed well within healthy limits and therefore can’t be considered to boost the risk of creatine leading to hair loss.
- Washing your hair too often means you’ll lose your hair
It’s true that you might see hair “falling out” when you’re in the shower, but the strands you lose to the plughole are usually in their natural shedding phase. In other words, they’d have fallen out whether you washed your hair or not.
It’s important not to be too vigorous when washing your hair, as this can damage the strands and lead to breakage. However, losing hair in this way is different to a condition like MPB and will not be permanent.
- Hair loss caused by stress is permanent
Stress can be a trigger for hair loss, but the good news is that this is rarely permanent. In fact, medically this is classed as “excessive hair shedding” – known as telogen effluvium. The condition is rarely permanent and once the stressful event or circumstances you’re in have passed, your hair will normally regrow.
That said, if you are under long-term stress then you may notice your hair shedding continues. Speak to a medical professional to get advice on how best to proceed. Normally they will support you to manage your stress, which will help the condition resolve itself.
- Men with high testosterone levels lose their hair
This isn’t strictly true. We met DHT earlier in our list and this is actually the hormone that can cause hair loss. It is one of the various types of testosterone found naturally in our bodies and it affects people differently.
Essentially, whether the DHT levels in your body cause hair loss or not will depend on how sensitive your hair follicles are to DHT. If they are more sensitive to this form of testosterone, DHT can trigger hair loss.
But this isn’t down to how much DHT you have – it’s all about how sensitive your hair follicles are to it and that is determined by your genetics.
- Dandruff is a sign you’ll lose your hair
Dandruff affects the skin on your scalp, whereas hair loss affects the hairs and their follicles. It doesn’t directly cause hair loss, but if it reaches a point where it’s itchy and your scalp is inflamed then scratching could lead to a few more hairs falling out.
However, this is normally temporary and once you’ve got rid of your dandruff by using topical treatments any hair you lost will likely grow back.
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