Young and (almost) bald: myth or reality?

Are men going bald younger and more often than before? 

The number of publications on the Internet on this subject begs the question. At Clauderer, we have seen an increase in the number of hair diagnostics carried out by young men in their 20s and 25s, and have been doing so for several years now. 

When you consider that in France around half of all men aged 50 and over will experience significant hair loss, it's normal to wonder at what age men start to lose their hair and when the first signs of baldness may appear. 

More specifically, according to an international study, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9865198/, 42 % of men aged between 18 and 49 will be affected by moderate to intensive alopecia, and 16% of 18-29 year-olds. For the latter, who notice the early signs of baldness such as :

• loss of capillary density, 
• areas that become sparser around the gulfs, 
• a step back from the front edge, 
• hair that falls out too much
• thinning hair 

it's a sign that baldness is on the way and that you need to act fast.

Baldness is therefore a widespread phenomenon among the male population, and some people face it better than others. So, is hair loss occurring earlier today than it did 20 or 30 years ago, and could teenagers already be affected by baldness? Or is it a question of an early and not necessarily well-founded awareness, generated by the importance of image in our society? Clauderer takes a brief look at the current state of affairs to find out whether you are right to be concerned that your head is gradually receding even though you are not yet 20.

YOUNG AND BALD: IS IT REALLY ALL IN YOUR HEAD?

These days, whether you're a man or a woman, and whatever your age, the injunctions to present the best possible self-image are everywhere. The intention is laudable, and taking care of yourself is in no way to blame!

On the other hand, trying to conform at all costs to the physical standards promoted on social networks and by marketing in particular can be a challenge for some of us.

In reality, whatever the calls for "body positivity", the trend towards accepting oneself as you are is still in the minority. Just take a look at the images from the women's and men's fashion shows: where are the bald men? 

Is this a magnifying effect of the influence of social networks, among others, which - by focusing all their communication on appearance - make men feel guilty whenever they do not correspond to a fantasised or ideal image of masculinity? Socio-cultural stereotypes die hard, and dense, grey-free male hair is still synonymous with power, virility and seduction.

So, in both the social and professional spheres, for a young man, seeing his hairline receding just as he is entering working life can cause stress and a loss of self-confidence. In this case, the slightest hair loss is synonymous with anxiety, whether it's a natural hair at the end of its life or a hair that has fallen prematurely as part of early alopecia. 

Whatever the cause, hair loss is not something to be taken lightly. Whether it's a natural renewal or the onset of baldness, it's never too early to take care of your hair and adopt the routine that will help you keep your hair looking beautiful for as long as possible.

BALD YOUNGER: WHAT THE FACTS SAY

Androgenetic alopecia is responsible for male pattern baldness in 95 % of cases. As a reminder, androgenetic alopecia results from a genetic predisposition of the hair follicles to suffer the harmful effects of the male hormones, androgens. The result is an acceleration of the hair cycle which, if nothing is done, leads to increasingly sparse and even totally hairless areas. For more information, read our article on androgenetic male alopecia: here. 

So, when you compare these statistics with the age of the first generations born when the internet and social networks became commonplace (starting with the Millenials of generation Y, from 1980 to the mid-1990s), it's not necessarily surprising to see an upsurge in questions about baldness on the internet (blogs, dedicated forums, Instagram accounts, etc.) from these thirty-somethings and over who are distraught about their incipient baldness. Very early on, they become aware that "something's not right" and ask themselves or their peers questions on the networks.

In addition to the hereditary factor, a number of other factors have been identified as aggravating baldness in men of all ages.

Stress and baldness 

Stress is one of the known and recognised causes associated with baldness. Why is this? Studies have shown the link between cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and hair loss. Research carried out in the United States by the APA American Psychological Association (https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2014/stress-report.pdf) establish a link between age and stress. More specifically, the younger generations, i.e. the 'X' and 'Y' generations, seem to experience stress more acutely than their elders. They feel easily isolated and lonely, and seem to have difficulty coping with the ups and downs of everyday life. In other words, the younger generations stress more, earlier.

And it all comes full circle when the stress of seeing your hair fall out increases your general level of anxiety, which in turn increases the risk of seeing your hair fall out even more!

Diet and baldness

Another aggravating factor worth mentioning has to do with diet. Hair is alive and, as such, needs nutrients to live and grow in good condition. A lack of minerals (iron, zinc, etc.) and vitamins (B group vitamins, vitamin D, etc.) will not only affect the body but also the growth of healthy hair. 

Without wishing to generalise and stigmatise the younger generations, the frequent use of an ultra-processed diet from the agri-food industry encourages deficiencies in good quality nutrients and excesses of harmful foods when consumed in too large quantities: sugars, fats, etc,... At the other end of the spectrum, choosing a more responsible diet but one that may exclude proteins too strictly can also impact healthy hair growth. This 2018 study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28243487 concluded that insufficient protein consumption combined with zinc and vitamin D deficiencies could have a negative impact on hair growth.

Ultimately, early awareness of alopecia is a positive thing: the earlier the situation is recognised, the quicker and more effective the treatments will be. There is never just one cause of a problem, and baldness is no exception. Whether real or perceived, hair loss in young men is not anecdotal: solutions exist to remedy it as soon as possible and restore self-confidence and self-esteem to all those who want their image to reflect the best of themselves. 

To address their concerns about the likelihood of going completely bald before the age of 30, Clauderer Specialists know how to offer effective, painless and non-invasive solutions. Book an appointment now!