Life-Cycle of Hair Growth

Before we look at why men suffer from hair loss it is important to understand the life-cycle of hair growth

Cycle of hair growth

• Anagen - This is the growing phase of hair
• Catagen - The resting phase of the hair fibres
• Telogen - Phase in which hairs are shed

What Leads to Male Hair Loss?

Under the action of male sex hormones which are called androgens the hair follicles undergo several changes which lead to alopecia.

Firstly the hair follicles undergo a shortening of the duration of the anagen phase (growth phase). The hair follicles then undergo a miniaturisation of the hair follicles as the process continues the hair follicles become smaller and the hairs become shorter. This process of attack by androgens primarily affects the front of the scalp, the temporal, frontal and vertex areas (crown of the head).

The reduction in duration of the anagen phase means that more hairs will be in the telogen phase (shedding phase) and they will be in this phase of the hair regeneration cycle for longer periods of time. As this phase does not permit growth of the hair shaft, it will result in increased hair loss and the effects will accumulate to cause baldness.

In this process, not only the size and the number of hairs decrease but hairs in the telogen phase are more likely to suffer damage and this explains why there is increased hair loss when the hair is washed. The process of androgenetic hair loss can result in a fine covering of hair that can be difficult to see as they contain little or no pigment.

To assist in the grading of hair loss and to monitor its progression several scales have been developed. Ludwig described the pattern of hair loss in females and Hamilton in males. The image below shows this scale:

Male pattern baldness can occur at any age following puberty when blood androgen levels rise. The first change seen is a reduction of hair in the region of the temples. This is a very common finding and is present in approximately 96% of sexually mature Caucasian men, but not all of these individuals will go on to develop alopecia.

It is not possible to predict the extent of the eventual hair loss in any individual but in general, it is those who suffer from initial hair loss and receding hair lines in the second decade of life in whom the alopecia is likely to be the most severe.

Alopecia also does not occur with the same pattern or prevalence in all races. Oriental and North American men are more likely to preserve their frontal hair whilst African-Americans may have a lower incidence of baldness.

We should also point out that there is no truth in the belief that alopecia is a marker for virility in men and frequent washing of hair does not cause alopecia.

The frequency of baldness is often misquoted but there is a general rule that gives a good approximation of the prevalence of alopecia in Caucasian men.

• At the age of 25 years, 25% of all men will have some obvious hair loss
• At the age of 50 years , 50% of men will have some obvious hair loss
• On average the sign of androgenetic hair loss occur in females 10 years later than in males.

How Can Thymuskin Help?

Thymuskin has been clinically proven to help men with androgenetic alopecia showing nearly a 70% success rate over 6-9 months. It is often the case that the standard Shampoo and Hair Treatment will resolve most cases of male pattern baldness.

However, to get a better understanding of your personal situation you may like to fill out our online questionnaire so we can review your answers and get back to you with a personalised Thymuskin hair loss regimen. Click here to visit the questionnaire page.

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