While both men and women are subject to hair loss at different times and for different reasons, it seems that men experience it far more often than women and to a more total degree. It is important to understand what causes hair loss in men to develop a treatment plan to reverse or stop the process.

The most common form of hair loss is known to lay people as male pattern baldness. This type of hair loss is a result of an imbalance of male and female hormones in the hair follicles. Yes, it is true that males carry some female hormones in small quantities in their bodies, just as it is true that women have a small amount of testosterone in theirs. When the balance between the hormones is thrown off, a buildup of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) occurs that can choke off hair follicles.

Stress, whether work, home, or illness related often causes a temporary form of hair loss. While it is happening, it can be excessive and disturbing, but once the stress is relieved, the hair will grow back and resume a normal cycle of growth, dormancy, and shedding in small quantities.

Thyroid disease, diabetes, Lupus, and other underlying medical causes can lead to hair loss. In some cases, the condition can be reversed with treatment for the underlying disease. In others, the hair loss may be permanent. Either way, one needs to know the cause in case it is a serious medical condition that can be treated.

Some medications, especially those given for treatment of high blood pressure and antidepressants can cause hair loss. If medications are the cause, stopping taking them can stop hair loss and allow it to grow back. However, stopping any medication that a doctor has prescribed can be a worse risk to one's health than dealing with hair loss.

Even though roughly ninety percent of all hair loss in males in caused by male pattern baldness, the other causes for it are serious enough that one should never take for granted that hair loss is just a normal function of getting older. A doctor can perform a few simple tests to determine what may be causing the hair loss and can recommend treatment options that can help stop the process or reverse it.

Understanding what causes hair loss in males is the first step to solving the problem and keeping more of one's own hair longer.