Save Your Hair: 7 Signs of Balding and What You Can Do to Fight It

Two-thirds of American men will experience noticeable hair loss by the time they are 35.

Do you think you’re showing signs of balding? As we age, our hair naturally changes. It’s easy to misread theses changes and fear you are going bald, or to fail to notice the telltale signs!

Read on to learn the common signs of balding, and what you can do to reverse the process.

How to Tell if Your Hair Is Thinning

Balding doesn’t happen overnight. There are a number of signs that can suggest that you are starting to lose your hair.

1. Hair on the Pillow

It’s perfectly normal to find loose hairs on your pillow and in the bottom of the shower. The average person loses 100 hairs a day. However, if you have an unusually large amount of shedding, it may be a sign of balding.

Don’t worry too much. Even with a lot of shedding, you aren’t necessarily balding. Unless you are shedding faster than you are replacing hair, your hair will overall stay the same.

2. Itchy, Flaky Scalp

Another obvious sign is an itchy scalp. This is most often caused by an increased amount of sebum on your head. This can lead to dandruff and ultimately hair loss.

Thankfully this is entirely unrelated to male pattern baldness and can be treated.

3. Hair Takes Longer to Grow

Male pattern baldness causes hair follicles to enter a “resting phase” which means much less of your hair will be growing at any one time. This means that your hair will take much longer to grow after a haircut.

If you notice a change in the speed of your hair growth, it may well be an early warning sign for baldness.

4. Dull Hair

As baldness takes hold, your hair follicles will begin to shrink. This means that your individual hairs will get thinner. This is actually noticeable before any real change to your hairline or the thickness of your hair.

Thinner hair will mean that your hair will overall lose some of its shine, and look less radiant.

5. Receding Hairline

Most hair loss starts at the temples and forehead. Over time this will gradually recede. Individual hairs will become thinner until they fall out or become so small they are almost invisible.

Be aware that a widow’s peak is not the same as a receding hairline. Although it can look like the early stages of a receding, there is no need to be worried.

6. Pattern Hair Loss

As the name suggests, male pattern baldness follows a distinctive pattern. If you are losing clumps of hair outside of a receding hairline or the top of your head, then something else is to blame.

However, if you notice a thinning crown, then it’s probably an early sign. Remember, not everyone sees their hairline recede before their crown.

7. Your Relatives Hairlines

Hair loss is genetic, so if your relatives suffer from male pattern baldness, the deck is stacked against you. Thankfully, even if your father is bald, it isn’t guaranteed. Your genetics increase your chances of suffering from badness.

If you have any of the other signs of baldness, it is much more likely that they will continue into full male pattern baldness if your relatives are bald.

Combating Baldness

Baldness and hair loss are caused by a number of different factors, but one way or another it always comes down to hormones. Read on for ways to control your hormone levels and preserve your hair.

Stress

The male sex hormone testosterone is one of the common causes of hair loss.

Your testosterone levels are affected by stress, which is why increased levels of stress can cause hair loss. The amount of stress you are under isn’t always under your control, but there are things you can do to help manage it.

Do what you can to balance your home and work life. Regular exercise helps you to de-stress and will make you healthier as well. Set aside regular time for meditation and other calming activities.

Diet

What we eat and drink has a major effect on our bodies, and our hair is no exception.

Foods that are rich in antioxidants help to reduce the number of toxins that stress our bodies. Protein and iron in your diet also promote hair growth. Alcohol can also lead to hair loss.

Alcohol impairs your ability to absorb nutrients, causing your hair to enter the “resting phase”. You can learn more about this at this useful resource.

DHT Blockers

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the main culprit when it comes to male pattern hair loss. DHT is created when testosterone interacts with the hair follicle. DHT causes the hair follicle to shrink, making it impossible for new hairs to grow.

The most effective way to avoid hair loss is, therefore, to block DHT in the first place. You can get DHT blockers in the form of shampoos, pills, and supplements.

DHT blocking shampoos contain ketoconazole. They work by restricting the production of DHT right at the hair follicle.

Finasteride is a pill that has been found to reduce balding in 83% of men. Taken once a day, most users found that it actually began to restore their lost hair.

Vitamin B7 is an easily available supplement that has also been proven to help with hair strength and growth. Cheap and effective, it is a no-brainer to add to your daily regimen.

The Warning Signs of Balding

Preventing baldness is easier the earlier you catch it, so watch for these 7 signs of balding.

If you notice that you’re balding, make sure to act immediately to get the best results. Improving your diet and reducing your stress levels will put you in the best position to slow any type of balding. DHT blockers are the most effective treatment for male pattern hair loss, and can even reverse hair loss.

If you found this article useful, then check out our other articles on health and your body. From healthy living to warning signs to watch for, we have you covered.