The Hair Loss Checklist: A Step By Step Guide to Fighting Baldness

by Dean Anderson

You’ve been ignoring the clumps of hair in the drain, the wisecracks from your buddies, and the photos of grandfathers on both sides of your family looking completely smooth-domed. But now you’re ready to face it: You’re balding. So what do you do now? The people of Hair Loss Forum have put together the a few tips for handling hair loss with dignity. It's the Hair Loss Checklist!

Talk to Your Doctor

Get an appointment with your doctor as soon as you realize you’re losing hair. Hair loss can occur many reasons that are neither hereditary nor permanent. A few common causes include: stress, diet, calcium deposits on your scalp, and side effects of certain medications. The bottom line is you can’t do anything but worry until you know what is causing hair loss. So don’t freak out. Get an appointment and see what medical professionals have to say.

Start Treatment

If your doctor or hair loss specialist believes you do have androgenetic alopecia there are several products on the market that can slow hair fall or even help you re-grow hair lost hair.

• Rogaine: Rogaine is a popular over the counter treatment you apply to the scalp twice a day. Its active ingredient, Minoxidil, works by reactivating hair follicles shrunken by dihydrotestosterone.
• Propecia: Propecia is another FDA approved hair loss treatment, but it comes in pill form. The active ingredient finasteride curtails the production of DHT, thus easing the hair fall.

Both products can be effective but neither offer permanent solutions to hair loss. Once you stop treatment, hair loss will resume, leaving you stuck paying for creams or pills until you decide let it all go.

Try a New Haircut

If you are balding or just starting a treatment to re-grow hair, a different hairstyle can help you continue on with class. At an early stage of hair loss you have a lot of options, but fewer styles make sense as hair loss progresses.

• Faux-Hawk: While it certainly isn’t for everyone, the faux-hawk is a bold way to embrace hair loss. Its best application is on those with hairline receding around the temples leaving an extended widow’s peak. Once hair loss takes hold of the crown of your head though, move on.
• Buzz Cut: A buzz cut gives you a sharp, uniform look that doesn’t rely on long locks. This style works on those with a uniformly receding hairline or light thinning, and it pairs nicely with a well trimmed beard.
• The Messy Look: Next time you’re at the barber have him add some texture, add a few drops of light product, and wear your hair stylishly unkempt. A little messiness can mask minor thinning and give you a dapper new look.
• Shaved: This is the last stop for those too proud (or smart) to brave the “power donut.” Once hair loss reaches a certain point, just own it. Many celebrities and athletes rock the cue-ball look and complement it with facial hair or extra muscle. A shaved head indicates confidence and will save you a bundle on haircuts and shampoo.

Don’t Try to Hide It

Current research estimates that over twenty-five percent of men will experience hair loss before thirty and over two-thirds will by sixty. Going bald is nothing to be ashamed of. Trying to hide thinning hair is one of the most tempting options, but it usually backfires. Do you really think that your friends and family won’t notice if you start wearing a hat everywhere you go? Think long and hard about hair replacement systems, too. They can offer stylish and natural looking results, but they come at steep monthly fees, frequent appointments, and the constant anxiety that a piece will fail and reveal the fraud.

Hair Transplant Surgery

Ultimately, the only permanent solution to hair loss is hair transplant surgery. Certified hair loss surgeons can take donor hair follicles from another part of your scalp and use it to replenish your natural hairline. The hair you grow will be your own, and you can style it anyway you like. Hair transplant surgery costs may seem expensive upfront, but once the procedure is done, that’s it. No more monthly costs and daily maintenance.

If you’re interested in discussing hair loss solutions with a specialist, contact us today. We’ll schedule you a free, no-obligation consultation with at one of our hair loss clinics in your area.