Last Updated on October 23, 2024 by The Health Master
Hair today, gone tomorrow
A couple of years back, filmmaker Amar Kaushik highlighted the problem of premature baldness in men through his movie, Bala.
The story of Balmukund Shukla (Ayushmann Khurrana) from Kanpur in his late 20s indeed represents the fact that an increasing number of men are struggling with male pattern baldness.
And that the problem is not limited to any particular geographical location.
Medical professionals have observed that of every 10 people visiting hair reclamation clinics, eight are men.
Earlier, men started losing hair in their late 40s. The figures coming up from Delhi-NCR are even scarier.
Doctors say more than 70 percent of men in Delhi are facing hair loss, with the average age of patients being 25.
“In fact, boys in their teens and early twenties are coming to us for hair restoration,” says Dr. Mayank Singh, the Radiance Cosmedic Centre’s Hony Secy and Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons of India.
Dermatologists say they are getting more patients from the IT sector.
“Since IT sector employees are generally more stressed, don’t have a proper sleeping pattern, eat irregularly, they experience more hair loss,” says Dr. Arika Bansal, Founder, of Eugenix Hair Sciences, Gurugram.
Just as the pandemic has aggravated other health issues, it has had a direct impact on hair loss too.
“Since we resumed OPD operations after Unlock, we have had nearly 180 patients with hair loss problems.”
“Due to the lockdown, people were indoors, and experienced a possible Vitamin D deficiency which is manifested through hair fall,” says Dr. Bhavuk Mittal, Dermatologist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad.
As a result, the demand for hair transplants has surged since the Unlock.
Also read: High intake of vitamins A, E and D linked to these…
“Most patients show androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness (MPB) where hair loss begins at the temples or the crown of the head.
In some cases, hair loss pattern happens in the shape of M,” adds Dr. Mittal.
A majority of men who experience baldness are found with Vitamin B complex deficiency mainly B3 and B12, followed by Vitamin D and Vitamin C.
In a nutshell, the significant reasons for hair loss are iron inadequacy, absence of daylight (nutrient D-3), stress, sporadic weight control plans, hormonal changes, and related ailments like thyroid and diabetes.
Coupled with this are a poor lifestyle, stress, pollution, and faulty nutrition. In some cases, baldness is genetic.
“Those who smoke or consume alcohol also have a higher incidence of hair loss compared to non-smokers.
The carbon monoxide, which you inhale, damages the hair follicles. Additionally, nicotine hampers blood flow and affects hair growth,” says Dr. Bansal.
Remedies
Healthy, balanced meals can ensure a proper supply of nutrients to hair follicles and suppress hormones such as Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that play a major role in causing hair loss in men. Simple lifestyle changes can go a long way.
“Proper sleep, nutritious protein-rich food, enough water, regular exercise, yoga, and meditation surely help,” says Dr. Singh.
Agrees Dr. Bansal, “A good lifestyle and proper medication can delay the onset of baldness to 45, even in men who have a genetic predisposition towards it,” she says.
“Also, men must avoid cigarettes and alcohol, especially those who have baldness in their genes,” says Dr. Mittal.
Fact File
It is normal to lose 50 to 100 strands a day, but anything above that needs medical attention.
Apart from stress, cigarettes, and alcohol, the use of excessive styling and coloring weakens the hair follicles causing hair to break easily.
By Rajkumari Sharma Tankha
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