What’s On Your Head and What’s in Your Head
The Psychological Impacts of Hair Loss in Men
Putting mind over matter is easier said than done. The power of the mind can definitely win out over our physical experiences in a lot of ways, but it can seem to work to our detriment just as often as not. When we’re confronted with something every single day, like slowly disappearing hair, it can be difficult to find the positives.
Male-pattern baldness, the most common type of hair loss, is not physically painful. It usually takes place gradually over a number of years, starting as early as a man’s early twenties and progressively becoming worse throughout the decades. By the time men reach their fifties, about half will have experienced male-pattern baldness, otherwise known as androgenetic alopecia.
But a lack of physical pain doesn’t make up for the potential psychological damage posed by hair loss. Hair is among the most noticeable traits of one’s appearance, and for some, losing it can cause harm to self-esteem, create feelings of anxiety or depression, and lower overall quality of life.
A study of 998 men experiencing androgenetic alopecia looked to measure the impact that hair loss has had on individuals’ self-esteem and quality of life. These men were all deemed to be both mentally and physically healthy, but all had enough hair loss to be clinically diagnosed with male-pattern baldness. In addition to having hair loss in common, the study found that all men in the study were distressed by their hair loss, and many were unsatisfied with the treatments they had tried, as well as the advice they received from physicians.
Those who scored lowest in terms of quality of life had experienced hair loss at an earlier age (under 30) and for a longer period of time. The men also didn’t appear to build up a mental tolerance for their hair loss. Instead, scores worsened with age. For younger men, they perceived that hair loss would negatively impact their ability to find a partner and gainful employment. Whether the perception is borne out in reality or not, it’s clear that living with these thoughts in mind can have a detrimental impact on overall well-being.
Other research has highlighted how disorders like anxiety and depression tend to be common among men and women who suffer from alopecia. As it turns out, psychological issues like these, as well as social phobias and paranoid disorders, are more common among people with alopecia than in the general population. What’s more, among men, feelings of poor body image, appearing older than they are, a sense of inadequacy and an overall loss of self-esteem are common.
To be sure, part of the problem is a lack of understanding regarding the psychological impacts of hair loss, and how to treat hair loss more generally. Almost 61 percent of men in the first study had attempted to address the issue with non-medical hair care products like shampoos, oils and other ineffective treatments. This can be just as damaging to one’s psyche than the hair loss itself. There are also relatively few physicians that specialize in hair loss, and even fewer who are set up to diagnose and treat the psychological effects.
One thing with which doctors and patients can arm themselves is knowledge of effective treatments and strategies to reduce the appearance of hair loss — and even potentially grow some new hair. There’s no silver bullet when it comes to treating male-pattern baldness, but topical foams and sprays like minoxidil and oral tablets like finasteride are commonly used treatments that have shown some promise in clinical trials.
The best way to come up with a strategy to understand and treat hair loss is to contact a licensed physician. She or he will be able to explore the root causes of your particular hair loss and explore all available options.
Losing hair can be a worrying and isolating experience, but it doesn’t have to be. Men should take control of their hair loss and take steps to manage it — but they don’t have to do it alone.
Click here to schedule a free doctor’s appointment through UPGUYS
