There is nothing like a full head of healthy hair. From an evolutionary standpoint, there is a reason that human beings are attracted to people with shinny, flowing tresses. As you might expect, hair denotes health, which has always been an important consideration when selecting a mate.
For men, this problem is often compounded, as bald men are not only viewed as less attractive and desirable, but also less manly and virile. Not to mention the fact that alopecia doesn’t strike women at nearly the same rate. According to recent reports, over fifty per cent of men in the UK will experience hair loss during their lifetime. Most of these men will be stricken by a condition known as male pattern baldness, which can cause men to lose their hair as early as their late teens.
After centuries of research (possibly longer), doctors think they know the cause of accelerated hair loss in men. They have identified a male hormone known as DHT (a type of testosterone), which causes hair to thin when present in excessive quantities. Though the hormone itself is not harmful to male health, it will most assuredly cause hair loss if left untreated.
Presently, there are a number of effective prescription medications that have been designed to block DHT and to diminish it over time. However, like most drugs, they have side effects. The most discouraging one is that they may have an effect on male sexual health. Now, it is important to note that these side effects are not permanent, but they have been experienced by thousands of men who took these drugs.
The most common side effect is impotence. It is also true that the drugs may decrease a man’s libido. These side effects will naturally disappear when a patient stops taking the medication. As far as general health is concerned, these drugs are thought to be quite safe.