So, you’re approaching the 30 something mark, and you are beginning to witness a small bald spot across the back of your head, or reduced hair growth across the temples? Well you aren’t alone. Premature baldness and alopecia are becoming increasingly common in many middle-aged men and a handful of young men. Although both men and women can suffer from hair loss and bald spots, the genetic makeup of men make them more susceptible to alopecia compared to their female counterparts. That’s why you will see more men at hair transplantation clinics than women.

While you may not have any hair loss at this point in time, it is still better to act early and incorporate some changes into your daily routine.

While others around you may advise some tech savvy gadgets, supplements, procedures and what not- today we will be discussing a few ways to slow down actual hair loss in men, that’s surprisingly easy to follow and costs almost nothing. Let’s begin!

Seek Help as Soon as You Notice Any Changes

Once you begin to witness the signs of premature baldness in certain areas of the scalp, we advise seeking a consultation with your dermatologist as soon as you can. Hair loss can mean a loss of self-esteem and personality for many men, which is why you should get your condition assessed by an expert who can then advise adequate hair loss treatment options suitable to your needs.

Create A Proactive Routine

Once the initial assessment is done, your doctor may advise to you any of the 2 options readily available in the market that have been proven to accelerate hair growth in a large number of men:

1. Finasteride

This drug blocks the formation of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in males. DHT is an androgen that accelerates hair loss by shortening and thinning the existing hair follicles. It disrupts the normal hair growth cycle thus halting the growth phase in the rest period. By blocking the absorption of DHT, finasteride slows down hair loss.

2. Minoxidil

Minoxidil, available widely as an over the counter drug, is used as a topical agent. By applying a generous amount to your crown daily, minoxidil can accelerate blood flow thus strengthening and thickening the hair. The hair grow back stronger and more resilient to hair loss thus making it an effective and affordable option for many. It is particularly useful for hair loss on the crown and is useless for temple and beard hair.

Supplement Your Diet with More Than Just Biotin

Contrary to what most people advise, merely including biotin in your diet is not the solution to your hair loss woes. In order to reduce hair loss, you must supplement your diet with a wide variety of nutrients. Incorporate a more balanced diet and include fruits, vegetables and higher amounts of plant/animal-based protein. Apart from dietary modification, incorporate an all-rounder supplement rich in vitamin B complex, zinc and collagen and witness the hair fall go to bay.

Relax and Don’t Take Stress

As a normal human, we all tend to go through excessive bouts of stress over the span of our day. It is much more prevalent in males than females. Stress is the biggest culprit to hair loss, it also causes excessive hair shedding and thinning of the follicles. Try to keep your stress levels at a minimum by incorporating adequate rest time, a nutrient filled diet and a consistent exercise routine. Even daily sessions of yoga can prove fruitful in tackling stress levels.

Cut the Bad Habits

Now stress levels and other nutritional deficiencies can be masked, but bad habits, once set can cause more harm than benefits. A poor diet, shampooing too often, not shampooing enough, excessive intake of fast food, chain smoking, consumption of alcohol, using harsh products on your scalp- all of these habits can ruin your hair and contribute to massive hair loss and reduced hair follicle strength. I leave it to you to identify your bad habits and make concrete steps to improve your quality of life.

Hair Transplants

If signs of balding are clear and you have lost much hair, the above tips may help but you can’t grow your hair back with Minoxidil or any other medication. Hair transplant surgery is a better option at this point of time. You can consult an expert for examination.