Society has a misconception that hair loss is only for aging people or those who are sick, especially from diseases like cancer and AIDS. Hair loss can even be experienced by teenagers. It should be noted that hair loss affected more men than women. There are more men with thin hairs or bald spots than women. This raises the question of what causes hair loss in men.

Most men are affected by what is called male pattern baldness. As the name suggests the condition is prevalent in men. The main cause of male pattern baldness is the hormone testosterone. This is the sex hormone in men. Testosterone levels determine whether one will be affected by hair loss or not. There are higher chances of balding when the levels are high. Men who do not produce the hormone or who have low levels may have a full head a hair for a long time.

Testosterone levels are affected by a number of factors. Using performance enhancers is one of the factors. Performance enhancers are mostly used by sports people and the younger generation. They may come in the form of steroids. Although there is increased strength of the muscles as well as the mass, there is also an increase in the sex hormone.

When there are many hormones which are not bound, then these are converted to another sex hormone called Di hydro testosterone or DHT in short. The DHT hormone is essential in the development of the fetus. It is responsible for the development of the characterists of the male. The sex hormones are also essential during puberty. The voice deepens, the chest puffs up, beards start to grow, as well as hair under the arm pits and around the penis.

Unbound testosterone is converted to DHT by an enzyme called the 5-alpha reductase. After puberty, DHT has nothing to do in the body. It should normally just be released from the system. However this is not always the case. When there are high levels of DHT, then there will definitely be hair loss. DHT attaches itself to the hair follicles. The hair follicles become encased in the hormone, such that there is no contact with other cells. The follicles are alienated from the blood supply. Blood transports food for the body, hormones, antibodies, enzymes as well as oxygen. When hair follicles do not get their food supply, they exhibit signs of malnutrition which includes thinning of the hair, losing tensile strength, being brittle and breaking easily when you pull or comb the hair. Eventually the hair follicles die. When this happens, the hair falls out. The areas most sensitive to the hormones are the crown of the head and above the temples. It is common to see bald spots there, whilst the hair at the back is more indifferent.

What causes hair loss in men can be restrained from doing more damage. This is through the use of medications that reduce the hormone levels and inhibit their action and conversion.