Many black men suffering from receding hairline. In many cases, the problem is likely to be associated with genetic trait and oversensitive to an androgen called DHT – though this also could be due to their hairstyles (especially such as tight curled hairstyles, like cornrows) that put more stress on the hairline, causing hair follicle damage. How to stop it? There are some treatments to choose from!
The main treatments
Many times, receding hairline is early sign of hair loss problem called androgenetic alopecia (much familiar called pattern baldness). In men, it is often called as male pattern baldness.
To cope with male pattern baldness, there are two approved conventional treatments; minoxidil and finasteride. Most of minoxidil products can be purchased without prescription, while finasteride is usually available by prescription.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil for hair loss treatment is used topically. Currently, there are two options; foam and topical solution. What you need to do is applying it directly to your scalp twice a day– or you can follow the directions on the package!
For most black men, it is safe. However, there are also some possible side effects such as the risk of having more dandruff and scalp irritation (rare).
Again, minoxidil such as Rogaine has been approved for treating male pattern baldness. But it is less likely to work for receding hairline. It’s likely recommended for other signs of pattern baldness (such as thinning hair on the crown, or thinning hair all over the scalp (typically found in female pattern baldness)).
It doesn’t target the main underlying cause of male pattern baldness in most cases, the excess DHT in the scalp. See more facts about minoxidil in this section!
Finasteride (propecia)
Minoxidil is the first treatment approved by FDA for pattern baldness, then followed by finasteride. However, finasteride is the first treatment that works effectively in treating many cases of pattern baldness.
In general, finasteride is more recommended for the first treatment choice in coping with receding hairline. Unlike minoxidil, it can help reduce the production of DHT.
DHT stands for dihydrotestosterone. It is actually a male sex hormone, an androgen.
And it’s thought that hair follicles of men with male pattern baldness are genetically more sensitive to DHT. Interestingly, female pattern baldness is not associated with DHT.
Finasteride is not approved for women, including for those with female pattern baldness. Learn more about finasteride (propecia) in here!
Hair transplant
However, both medications (minoxidil and finasteride ) cannot provide permanent result. Many times, hair loss returns if you stop taking the treatment. Therefore, you need continuous use of this treatment – making it as a part of your daily routine, like shampooing your hair or brushing your teeth!
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Permanent result is offered with hair transplant. Although it is costly, but hair growth in the bald spots is likely to become permanent!
The cost is dependent on the large area of the balding. The larger it is – the greater amount of hair to be transplanted, and the higher cost you need to pay.
In general, the cost ranges from $4,000 to more than $10,000. Unfortunately, there is usually no insurance that covers it!
The good news, most black men with pattern baldness are able to take hair transplant since many times they still have a stable donor site for transplantation. But it’s rarely used for black women with pattern baldness since the problem usually affects all over the scalp!
It’s NOT recommended to take hair transplant at too young age since it will be more difficult to determine the right stable donor site. The use of as minoxidil or finasteride is also not recommended if you are younger than 18 – but for adults with pattern baldness, they can use it for the first treatment!
In addition, there is also a new hair loss treatment with stem cells. With this option, some experts believe that hair transplantation doesn’t rely on the existing hair follicles. This can be so helpful for those who are not able to take conventional hair transplant surgeries. It’s quite promising, though it’s not approved yet – learn more in here!
Are there any super foods or supplements for receding hairline?
If you’re suffering from receding hairline that does link to male pattern baldness, it’s less likely to be associated with lifestyle factors, including diet. However, what you eat can affect the overall health of your scalp and hair follicles.
In general, not much you can do to treat receding hairline with your diet or even supplements. But again your hair follicles always require good, regular nourishment.
Protein, vitamins, and some minerals are essential nutrients to keep your hair healthy and shinny. Even in a few cases, some types of hair loss are linked to specific nutrient deficiency.
Vitamin B6 and some minerals (especially such as zinc) are great for skin, nails, and hair follicles. Iron is also important for hair growth. Meat, poultry, nuts, eggs, squash, pumpkin seeds, and whole grains are foods rich in iron.
Fish is one of good choices. It is rich of omega 3, vitamin D, and also some minerals which are needed for hair to regrow. In fact, some patients who are going with chemotherapy (a conventional cancer treatment) are recommended to increase their dietary for fish to help reduce the risk of hair loss (a common side effect of taking chemotherapy).
If you do believe that some nutrients, foods, or supplements may help cope with your hair loss, here are some facts about the role of what you eat in treating hair loss!
Furthermore, the exact cause of receding hairline is also not clear yet. Though male pattern baldness is often associated with genetic trait and DHT, some experts believe that other factors may also have contribution.
In fact, not all cases are always linked to DHT and genetic. In a few cases, it might be associated with other things that are reversible. Nourishing your hair with plenty of essential nutrients is always worth a try.
Stop any bad hairstyle practices!
If you do believe that your hairstyle, such as cornrows or braiding, has contribution to cause the problem, stop it and look for other safely hairstyles!
Furthermore, watch out on the use of perms, dyes, or rubber bands! These may have an effect on the health of your hairline, too – particularly if you are an individual who already have thinning hair.
Pay attention on the way of how you brush your hair, do it gently and use wide-tooth comb if necessary! Even you should not shampoo your hair too much, overdo washing can be counterproductive for your hair follicles!
What else?
The following are other helpful checklists to help cope with receding hairline:
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- Consider hair cut that can help make the problem less visible. This can be quite helpful for mild case of the problem. The good news, there are many hairstyles for receding hairline to choose from. In general, just ask your barber to avoid having a straight line on the temples.
- Avoid hot water to wash your hair since this can make your scalp dry out! Instead, use lukewarm water!
- Some hair-care products for thickness also contain harsh chemicals that can be a recipe for destruction. It’s much better to use a light grease containing natural oil or other safely ingredients that can help rejuvenates your scalp!
- Massage your scalp gently! Take a few minutes to do it before going bed. Do it routinely to help improve blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles. It is also quite helpful to relieve stress.
- Control your stress as well! Stress that goes out of control is thought can worsen many conditions, including hair loss. See also these stress reducers!
- In coping with your hair loss problem, you may try numerous different products to find out what works best. But this can pile a lot of products in the scalp and follicles, making your scalp dirty that may worsen the problem. So, it’s also important to keep it clean up there. Wash your hair routinely!
- Use the most appropriate washing and conditioning products, this can vary among black men. Choose the right products that meet to your hair needs! Look for one that leaves your scalp rejuvenating!
These lifestyle measures are usually only used for complementary option, NOT to replace the main treatment. If your receding hairline is a sign of male pattern baldness, the underlying cause of the problem (typically excess DHT in the scalp) must be treated.
For more-detailed information about ways to stop and grow back receding hairline, here is a comprehensive guide.