Premature male pattern baldness: what are the solutions?

According to several studies, hair loss is affecting younger and younger men, and Centre Clauderer hair Specialists can testify that the phenomenon is very real (see our article Young and bald: myth or reality?). 

Men usually experience significant hair loss from the age of 45-50 but, unfortunately, younger men can also notice the characteristic signs of incipient baldness:

• the temporal gulfs deepen
• the vertex (the "tonsure") is increasingly sparse
• the front line retreats

At the same time, there is a loss of hair density, hair becomes thinner and baldness slowly sets in.

This description illustrates the consequences of male androgenetic alopecia.It's a condition that will affect the vast majority of men, even as early as puberty. But even if this situation seems inescapable and irreversible due to its hereditary nature, a number of solutions exist - if not to stop it completely - at least to manage hair loss as soon as the first symptoms appear.

Here, Clauderer offers you an overview of the main solutions available to young men worried about losing too much hair. Of course, some of these solutions can also address the problem of hair loss in general, androgenetic or otherwise, in both men and women. Our personalised diagnosis will give you a precise and detailed answer to the solutions best suited to your case.

Premature baldness: initial recommendations

First of all, if you only notice a few hairs falling out every day, there's no need to stress too much. Everyone loses hair every day, and that's perfectly normal. On the other hand, if you notice massive hair loss (more than 100 hairs a day) that doesn't stop after a few weeks, then you need to take immediate action.

For a young man, losing his hair can have major social consequences, such as withdrawal, a lack of social and emotional life, and difficulty integrating into professional life. Chronic anxiety can also set in.

Firstly, you can consult a health professional to ensure that you are not suffering from any serious deficiencies or illnesses, in which case appropriate medical treatment will need to be prescribed. 

Next, a few common-sense measures, such as reviewing your diet and lifestyle (fewer kebabs and more sport!) and choosing your hair care products carefully (less but better), are simple, effective and easy to implement. Eventually, a course of vitamins with dedicated active ingredients will provide the extra energy needed to improve hair health.

Premature baldness: medicinal solution

Often the first reaction to excessive hair loss is to turn to a health professional, whether a general practitioner or dermatologist. If no medical problem is identified, the response is often to prescribe Minoxidil or its derivatives, in lotion, serum or tablet form. While the efficacy of this product is generally proven, there are a few words of advice and warnings to bear in mind:

• when applied topically (i.e. directly to the scalp), the alcohol in the product can cause dandruff, itchy scalp and sticky hair.
• Once started, this is a treatment that should be considered "for life", at the risk of losing all the benefits as soon as you stop applying it. Often, sudden hair loss occurs when the treatment is stopped, proportional to the dosage and duration of application - this is the rebound effect.
• Beware, too, of the threshold effect: it is often observed that the product loses its effectiveness after a few years. 
• other undesirable side effects have been listed (see Vidal dictionary). https://www.vidal.fr/medicaments/substances/minoxidil.html): migraines, weight gain, numerous dermatological problems such as scalp pain, dermatitis, changes in hair colour and/or texture.

For all these reasons, especially if you're young, we recommend that you exercise extreme caution before making a (very) long-term commitment.

Premature baldness: surgery

Hair transplants are very popular, particularly with the younger generation, who have no qualms about talking about their operation with their family and friends, or even with their colleagues. Not only has the practice grown in popularity, it has also made significant progress in terms of techniques and results. Today, micrografting gives a very natural result.

Despite this, post-operative pain remains, the budget is considerable and charlatans are on the prowl, so it's wise to be well informed before choosing a particular practitioner, because the results are irreversible.

For younger people, in the case of a graft used to mask the initial effects of androgenetic alopecia, it is important to understand that :

• a hair transplant does not stop hair loss
• the donor area must be sufficiently rich to allow even and aesthetic harvesting, as the grafts harvested will not leave any room for regrowth in this area
• the donor area must be sufficiently dense for another reason: if baldness progresses rapidly, you may be tempted to have another operation, but will there be enough hair available? 
• The earlier you start, the more difficult it is to predict what the hair will look like 10 years later. For a natural, harmonious result, the surgeon will have to imagine how the hair might progress, and this is easier on a 35-year-old than on a 20-year-old. In fact, the rate of baldness begins to stabilise around the age of 30-35.
• The psychological factor is not insignificant either. Choosing to change your appearance and accepting the result - there's no going back - requires you to know yourself well and think long and hard before taking the plunge.

Premature baldness: hair supplements

Here too, attitudes and techniques are evolving. Gone are the days of the unsightly toupee, the subject of much ridicule! Hair supplements have gained in popularity in recent years, and talking about them is no longer a taboo subject for men. The products on offer today are astonishingly realistic and easy to live with on a daily basis, appealing to the most fashionable of millennials.

Another advantage is that, by definition, this solution is reversible and modular. The only major disadvantage is the need for regular and restrictive maintenance by a duly trained professional, and therefore its high cost.

Premature baldness: aesthetic medicine

PRP, laser, exosomes... these aesthetic medicine techniques are gaining ground and can be attractive because of their relatively painless nature. However, their cost remains a deterrent for many and, at this stage, the results remain uncertain, with few large-scale studies having demonstrated their positive effect on long-term hair loss. 

Premature baldness: the power of plants

What if the solution to premature baldness came from the plant world? 

Certain plants have long been known to have beneficial effects on hair growth: rosemary, castor oil, etc. But it's when you combine their active ingredients that you get a particularly effective anti-hair loss cocktail: the effects are multiplied.

Centre Clauderer has developed high-performance concentrates with powerful active ingredients that act at the heart of the hair follicle to help it produce stronger, more beautiful hair for longer. These anti-hair loss serums are applied to the scalp, alone or in synergy with other Clauderer haircare products, depending on the individual problem (dandruff,oily scalp, etc.). All our products have undergone extensive scientific research and testing to demonstrate their long-term effectiveness. 

 Clauderer anti-hair loss serums offer a number of advantages when you start to lose your hair at an early stage:

• simple and easy to use
• no known side effects or addiction
• Possible synergy with other solutions: made up of plant extracts (essential oils and vegetable oils) and vitamins, Clauderer serums can be used to complement an initial Minoxidil-based treatment, or to boost the donor and recipient areas before a hair transplant. After the transplant, the serum will also be an ideal ally in revitalising the young grafts.

So why wait? Nature is doing you a favour, so make the most of it!