Everyone dreams of having a thick, dark crown of hair, but for some people, this is a pipe dream. Male hereditary baldness is one of the most common causes of hair loss and baldness. The condition is also known as androgenic alopecia. This is a genetic condition passed down from a man to his sons and so on. Though it can be tough to accept, it’s important to know the symptoms and treatments of male pattern baldness.

The symptoms and treatments of male pattern baldness are connected. It is only when you recognize the symptoms that you will be able to seek treatment for the condition. Some of the common symptoms to look out for are:

• Overall thinning of hair
• Excessive hair loss from the top and crown
• Receding hairline from the temples
• Development of a bald patch on the top of the scalp
• Thinner growth of new hair.

As the condition worsens, bald spots will spread across the rest of the head as well. The sides (parietal areas) and back of the head (occipital) often remain unaffected. Many people experience the symptoms of male pattern baldness only once the condition has reached an advanced stage. Unfortunately, male pattern baldness cannot be prevented, reversed, or cured. However, there are cosmetic procedures that may help.

• Hairstyles: Styling your hair differently may help hide bald patches and make your hair look thicker.
• Topical medication: Certain types of topical medication can slow down the process of hair loss and stimulate the growth of new hair follicles.
• Weaves: If you have enough natural hair, a wig may be sewn into the natural hair.
• Hair transplant: In cases where hair loss has reached an advanced stage, these cosmetic procedures may not be sufficient. In such cases, a hair transplant is the only viable option. One of the first procedures while thinking of the treatments of male pattern baldness is a hair transplant. This is a surgical form of treatment that takes hair from one part of the scalp and transplants it to the bald spots.

There are two procedures that may be used to harvest and transplant hair follicles. The difference between them is the way in which hair follicles are harvested.

• Follicular Unit Strip Surgery
  This procedure involves removing a 6-10 inch wide strip of skin with thick hair growth from the back of the head and dividing the same into multiple tiny grafts. Each graft may have an individual or a few hair follicles.

• Follicular Unit Extraction
  For this procedure, a section of the back of the head is shaved and hair follicles are removed individually.

Once the hair follicles have been harvested, the bald section of the scalp is numbed, and the hair follicle grafts are implanted into tiny holes in the scalp.