In Australia, 20% of lads in their 20s will begin to notice signs of their beautiful dome peaking through. Unfortunately, as we know all too well, losing your hair can affect you in number of ways, particularly in the confidence area of life.
There comes a time when dudes like us become sick of the idea of accepting our hair is done and dusted before we're ready. And that time is now gentlemen! The number of options to kick hair loss to the curb are mounting, but one question remains - which is the best hair loss treatment for men?
There's such a variety of choices, with more coming out each year! Some cheap and sh*t, some expensive and well, still sh*t. Then there are others that are pretty damn good! So I thought I'd break down some of the best and newest hair loss treatments for men in 2019. It's important to remember that the majority of hair loss treatments for men are not over-night fixes, and require a lot of diligence and long-term persistence to truly have an effect on hair growth!
So have a dig below!
1. Hair Replacement Surgery
Hair replacement surgery still remains at the top of the list for hair loss treatments for men. Even a few years ago, doctors performing this procedure would use cornrow plugs to fill out ya noggin', but things have progressed slightly. Nowadays, the hair replacement procedure is a lot more advanced, but with one ever lasting factor. Unless you have a phat-ass wallet with an extra 10k floating around, you might need to scout out some other options.
There are two types of hair transplant surgery - follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE).
FUT is the more old school-esk hair transplant procedure. Doctors takes a few hairs from an area with healthy hair, usually a strip of skin from the back of the person's head, and each of these hairs get dissected and planted as individual grafts on the areas where the hair is thinning out. It's a bit funky the thought of grafting skin and hair but onwards we go... With FUE, doctors extract single hair follicles from an area of the scalp where hair is thicker and then transplant them to an area where you are thinning. Great for all those natural, organic lovers out there.
The downside to hair replacement surgery is the costs and recovery! FUT takes a bit longer to recover, usually lasting up to 10 days. With FUE, the healing time is usually three to five days. And make sure you follow the post op instructions to a T, otherwise things could go quite astray! Did anyone say, infection?
2. Laser Light Therapy
As we step into the new, technologically advanced modern era of discovery and exploration, lasers are starting to take over our existence! Okay not entirely, but let's be real, lasers are sick! And you can now use them to 'get your hair back'. The idea behind laser light therapy as a hair loss solution for men, is to stimulate blood flow in the scalp, shooting photons (phew, phew!) into your scalp where weak hair follicle cells can absorb them. This process makes your follicle cells healthier and stronger, increasing hair growth.
The world of hair loss treatments for men is becoming pretty epic! But, no matter how cool, you should know that not many people see the growth of new hair. Rather, laser light therapy has some pretty varied results, but all in all seems to keep those hair you already have on your head from going walk about, which is great in itself!
Those who want to give laser light therapy a red hot crack, should be prepared for the time commitment! To see any real results, you have to zap your head for 15 minutes a day, at least three times a week. On top of that, most guys have to continue the treatment, every day, to see any proper results.
There are no major side effects to laser light therapy as a hair loss treatment for men, but it can be a bit of a pain in the ass, especially if you're like me - very easily distracted and find any excuse to not sit down for 15 minutes a day with a red light on my cranium. But that's just me...
3. Finasteride
Now, this one is a bit weird for us . I'll tell you a little secret - everyone at joebloe has taken finasteride at one point in the past, but there came a time where we all threw it to the wind and haven't looked back since! But I'll get to that in a bit...
Finasteride is a prescribed medication which is quite useful as a hair loss treatment for men. Originally tested as a drug to help prevent prostate cancer, doctors saw that one of its side effects was increased hair growth. So, after some digging, researchers discovered the drug actually blocks the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), that lil' douche responsible for hair loss.
Here's the catch! Although finasteride is pretty effective as a hair loss treatment for men, the straw, or rather straws, that broke the camels back for us all here at the joebloe headquarters were the side effects associated with its prolonged use. Yes, losing your hair as a young buck sucks, but something that sucks even more is losing your sex drive. At the end of the day we're all trying to keep our hair, to keep our confidence, to keep killin' it! So your libido isn't something you really want to be tampering with, especially at this stage of life, or any stage for that matter.
Finasteride has a number of alarming side effects for men, including impotency, abnormal ejaculation, trouble having an orgasm, erectile dysfunction, etc. Some lads have even also reported male breast enlargement. There is evidence suggesting these side effects are only felt by a handful of dudes using the drug, but at the end of the day, we don't find the need to roll the dice with finasteride because these side effects can last much longer even after coming off the medication.
It's for these reasons that we don't have a spec of room for finasteride at joebloe, and stick to the more 'natural-ly' side of things!
4. Minoxidil
Minoxidil, every man's top pick for hair loss treatments for men! Well at leasts we recon so. A topical solution applied to those thinnin' spots, minoxidil is clinically proven to help promote healthy hair growth, and is why it is our leading man in Gone Toppo!
Minoxidil does the hard yards by increasing blood flow to your scalp, making things nice and healthy where they count most! Minoxidil coaxes all the nutrients your hair follicles need to really start kickin' into high gear! A healthy scalp means healthy follicles, and that means thicker, healthier hair! YEW!
It takes a while for the action to start happening, usually a few months, and you will see more hairs falling out when you start off with minoxidil, but this is a good sign! It kicks all those dead hairs out of the party and refuels your follicle stocks so the real party can begin!
Simple and easy, used every day, a minoxidil based topical solution like Gone Toppo is a great hair loss treatment for men, especially those who are a bit more on the sceptical side of things when it comes to swollowing tablets!
5. DHT Blocker Shampoo
First off, there's no shampoo that can completely stop hair loss lads. But, like minoxidil, DHT blocker shampoos work to get all those nutrients your follicles really need to be the kings of your castle!
More importantly, it keeps your hair clean, so the natural oils that your follicles produce can continue to keep your hair healthy and strong, bringing out the Fabio that lurks within us all!
We're not going to go too in depth into which shampoo's are the best hair loss treatments for men, because we have already compiled a list of the one's we recon you should chuck in your shower. Have a squiz HERE!
6. Nutrition
Although nutrition and diet alone won't save you from hair loss, having a diet filled with deep fried chicken and chocolate cake won't help you retain it either! Let me make one thing clear, I am in no way throwing shade at fried chicken n' choccy cake, BUT if you're guzzlin' 'em down every day you may want to re-assess things! Not only for your hair.
You can incorporate nutrients into your diet that'll help you prevent hair loss! So munch down on things such as salmon, honey, zinc, seaweed, and essential oils. Salmon is full of protein and fatty acids such as omega-3. Honey has been shown to help with thinning hair when it's used as topical treatment - beware of the stickiness. Zinc is also an essential vitamin to combat hair loss. So set up a hair date, and pile these few things on your plate, mate!
If you're not too keen on sticking to any strict diet, taking the right supplements can help men see a big improvements in hair loss. Have a look at our Little Pals, they're jam packed with a perfectly measured number of vitamins and minerals carefully selected for men's hair growth!
7. Change Life Choices
Although altering certain lifestyle choices might not seem like an effective hair loss treatment for men, a few changes can go a long way if you find yourself growing a little lighter up top!
If you're a smoker, the first step is to quit. Smoking has many negative effects on the body, one of which is hair loss. Next time you want to light up a cigarette at the pub with the lads, think about the effects it has on your hair! Maybe it'll help you quiet for good, not such a bad thing either...
Also, those who live a stressful life are more likely to suffer from hair loss. Making an effort to reduce stress will have a significantly positive impact on your hair, and your life in general. So go for a run, play some footy with mates, maybe have a crack at yoga when you're feeling a bit pent up and reduce those stress levels big man!
The Bottom Line
The amount of hair loss treatments for men are vast, and they're only growing. You've got to figure out which one suits you the best. You've seen a handful of little changes you can make in your every day life, but unfortunately, if you're one of the legends in the hair loss community, your clock is ticking! If you're looking at making a proper change, one that's not going to break your bank or take significant time out of your day, have a look at our subscription package below! Did I mention you get your first month for free ;)
Our subscription has all the right goods you need to help your head get a move on! A combination of the best vitamins, minerals and supplements in one hair loss treatment package for men. Have a look and see if its the one for you!
Peace, love and rad hair lads!
