Hair Loss Due To Aging

At the Hair Growth Studio, we often deal with clients who have suffered hair loss due to a condition or affliction which makes them self-conscious. However, we also welcome a fair amount of individuals who are worried about the loss of their hair due to aging.

Why do we experience hair loss due to aging?

Hair loss as we age is completely normal. For women, these changes often occur during menopause, causing hair to thin and become more sparse. Most men all almost entirely bald by the time they turn 60, often starting with the temples or crown.

Losing thick, youthful hair as we grow older can have a huge effect on your confidence, and so it’s only natural that those people suffering with the issue want to seek help. Unfortunately, once the body begins to shed hair, there are very few things that can be done to change it. The loss of hair in both men and women is a result of the changing hormone levels in our body. It occurs when testosterone in the body converts into an endogenous androgen sex steroid and hormone called dihydrotestosterone – or DHT. It is the same hormone that causes men to have male characteristics, and too much of it leads to hair loss in both men and women.

Is hair loss due to aging treatable?

For men, there are many treatments that claim to slow down the hair loss process, such as Minoxidil, the active ingredient in hair loss products such as Rogaine. The greatest issue with topical medications such as these, however, is that many male consumers lose patience with the practice of using it twice a day. Moreover, there are reports that those who start using minoxidil and then stop end up shedding more hair than the did prior to its use – although these reports are all subjective.

Men can also tackle baldness through the use of hair replacement surgery. The two main types of hair transplant surgery are Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) ad Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). The former (FUE) involves a surgeon extracting anywhere from 500-5,000 individual follicles from the scalp where hair growth is still plentiful (such as the back of the head) and replanting them in areas where hair growth is lacking. The latter (FUT) is carried out by removing a strip of skin from which follicles are extracted in order to be replanted.

The greatest issue for curing male baldness is the price. In the UK, a man can expect to pay anywhere from £4,000-£15,000 depending on the severity of the hair loss – and as a result, many men choose to simply stay bald. In recent years, countries such as Turkey have become hubs for hair transplants, offering the same treatments for a fraction of the price – although it can be hard to separate the pros from the cowboys.

For women, many of the treatments that work for men are not advised for use due to possible side effects. Minoxidil, for example, can lead to extra growth of facial hair which women would understandably prefer to avoid. It is, however, worth mentioning that tests have shown that minoxidil did regrow hair in 81% of those women who tried it.

The likelihood of being a suitable female candidate for hair transplant surgery is also limited. This is because, unlike men, who tend to retain thicker areas of hair on the back and sides of the scalp from which follicles can be donated, women tend to see their hair thin in a uniform fashion, leaving no area suitable for follicle extraction. In fact, only 2-5% of all women are suitable for this kind of treatment.

Are there any other treatments for hair loss due to aging?

Luckily, other options such as non-surgical hair replacement are also available and increasing in popularity every day. Unlike surgery, these hair systems take a sample of your hair, and replicate it into a full fitting that covers up any areas with thinning hair. The benefit of this system is that it is non-invasive and requires minimal upkeep – just a bit of maintenance as often as you would normally have your hair cut.

The important thing to remember, however, is that science continues to find new ways to solve our aesthetic worries. Just 20 years ago, FUE and FUT were considered unrealistic, whereas today thousands of men apply for the procedure.

It is also worth noting that there is no shame in losing hair as we age. No matter how hard we try, unless we are genetically gifted we will all see our own hair thin over course of our lives and being able to discuss the issue and breaking the embarrassing taboo surrounding it is an important step in boosting our self-esteem.

If you are worried that you are suffering from hair loss due to aging, at the Hair Growth Studio, we will always be available to provide you with support as well as numerous effective therapies to help you recover. So, please book a consultation with the Hair Growth Studio if you’d like personally-tailored advice from an expert.