Busting Common Male Hair Loss Myths

Think you’re destined for a hairless head when you’re older thanks to your mother’s father? Or maybe you think that your stressful job will leave you with permanent hair loss. Since two-thirds of men experience hair loss by the time they are 35 according to American Hair Loss Association, it’s no surprise that myths about balding have sprouted up over time.

We’re here to bust five common male hair loss myths we’ve heard around the office. This way, you’ll better understand what’s causing your hair loss and how you can treat it.

You Should Thank Your Mother for Your Balding Gene

Many people think that the gene for male-pattern baldness only comes from their mother’s side of the family. But The Tech Museum of Innovation notes that men are just as likely to experience hair loss if their father is bald as they are if their maternal grandfather is bald. The key gene that causes balding can come from either your mom or dad.

It’s also important to point out that there’s more than one gene that controls hair growth. The hair growth trait isn’t as straightforward or easy to track as traits such as eye or hair color.

Stress Causes Permanent Hair Loss

Shedding between 50 to 100 hairs per day is actually normal. However, when you’re feeling stressed, you may experience excessive hair shedding, also known as telogen effluvium. Excessive hair shedding occurs when physical or emotional stress causes your hair follicles to go into a resting phase. Within a few months of being very stressed, you may see your hair fall out when combing or washing.

This type of hair shedding is temporary, and doesn’t typically result in permanent hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). As your stress naturally reduces after the stressful event comes to an end, your hair growth cycle should become normal again within a few months. Hair shedding can continue to be a problem over a long period of time if you continue to be under a lot of stress.

Being Bald is Sexy

As we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That being said, research shows that women are typically more attracted to a full head of hair than a balding one. A two-month dating experiment showed that women on dating websites were five times more likely to get in touch with men with a full head of hair than those who were experiencing hair thinning, according to The Telegraph. If you want a leg up in the dating world, you might want to consider a hair transplant or hair growth treatments.

Electronic Cigarettes Don’t Cause Hair Loss

Smoking is known to cause hair loss, which is one of the long list of reasons why many men switch to electronic cigarettes. But are electronic cigarettes actually any better for your hair? Unfortunately, not much research has been conducted yet on the chemicals inside of e-cigarettes. However, common chemicals that have been found in e-cigarettes, such as nicotine, could be linked to hair loss. It’s best to say no to e-cigarettes until more research is completed. You can learn more about vaping and hair loss here.

Your Can Grow More Hair Follicles Naturally

Just because you can regrow hair doesn’t mean you can grow more hair follicles. You are born with a certain number of hair follicles that produce hair, passed on by your parents. You can’t grow anymore throughout your lifetime. However, that doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. There is one way to increase the number of follicles on a certain area of your head: hair transplants.

During a hair transplant, your surgeon will move individual hair follicles from one part of your head to another. This means that you aren’t actually gaining new follicles on your head, but you will have more follicles in areas that need them. Two or three hair follicles are removed at a time in the form of “grafts” and placed in the area that is experiencing hair loss. These follicles will grow new hairs, resulting in a fuller area of hair.

Need more help navigating through the sea of hair loss myths and facts? We’re here to take the wheel! Feel free to contact us if you have any more questions about hair loss and hair growth treatments. We’re hair restoration experts who can help you learn the truth about hair loss and how you can prevent and even reverse it.