How Much Is Too Much When It Comes To Hair Loss?
Some Hair Loss Is Normal, But Only Some
In our unofficial “How Much/Often/Young is Too Much/Often/Young” series, we’ve looked at what’s a normal frequency of erectile dysfunction, and the age-range for safe Viagra use. That’s because the body, in all its glory and complexity, produces a breadth of variance. People come in all shapes and sizes, heights and weights — and, as it turns out, rates of hair loss.
For men trying to get a handle on the causes of hair loss and what they can do about it, or trying to manage erectile dysfunction and how to treat it, offering some tangible advice about when is a good time to seek professional help can go part of the way in alleviating some of the stress surrounding their situation.
How much hair loss is normal — specifically that due to male-pattern baldness — can be especially tricky to ascertain. For one, male-pattern baldness usually occurs slowly and gradually. It can start as early as one’s teen years and not become noticeable until many years later.
For another, no matter your age, sex or location, everyone loses some hair. According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, we shed about 50–100 hairs each and every day! Of course, since the average scalp has around 100,000 hair follicles, getting rid of 100 here and there doesn’t make a whole lot of difference.
To be sure, this natural, every day hair loss can be confounding when you’re worried about whether or not you’re actually experiencing hair loss as a result of male-pattern baldness. And even though expecting to lose 50–100 hairs offers some help in understanding what’s “normal”, unless you plan on counting each individual hair throughout the day (good luck) you’ll need to take a different approach.
One way to find out if your hair loss has surpassed the normal daily amount and can be considered more akin to androgenetic alopecia (the fancy term for male-pattern baldness) is to take pictures of yourself over a period of a few months and compare them. Take a selfie every day or two for three months, and compare photos from early on to the more recent ones. Since this kind of hair loss can be so gradual, and since you look at yourself every single day, it’s easy to miss day-to-day changes. Documenting progress over a period of a couple months will make it easier to tell.
For a different approach, you could compare your current hair situation against the Norwood classification for hair loss. This system is widely used to document the seven different stages of hair loss at different levels of progression. The first two stages show no or minimal hair loss, while the latter five represent more noticeable male-pattern baldness. Using the Norwood classification can help you see if you’ve gone from stage 1 to 2, or 2 to 3, to get a sense of whether or not the hair loss you’re experiencing is part of the normal daily average, or something bigger.
But not all hair loss is gradual. Yes, androgenetic alopecia tends to be initially subtle and progress gradually. However there are different types of hair loss that manifest in different ways. If you’re experiencing rapid hair loss, or hair loss occurring in patchy spots on the scalp, you should consider seeing a doctor right away.
Each individual, varied as we all are, will have a different tolerance for hair loss. Male-pattern baldness is usually not physically painful or uncomfortable. But, it can damage your self-esteem and self-confidence, and even lead to anxiety or depression. Luckily, there are treatment options like minoxidil or prescription finasteride, that may be able to help slow down hair loss and even cause some hair regrowth.
So if you’ve come to terms with the reality that you’re losing more hairs than the 50–100 shed by the average person, schedule an appointment with a doctor to explore your treatment options. She or he will be able to assess your particular situation and come up with an individualized plan suited to you.
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