Hair Loss In Australian Men

The Curious Case of Hair Loss In Australian Men

Published 10 January 2019

Hair loss is often made the subject of humiliating humour, but the truth of the matter is, it is not a laughing matter. A condition that is pretty prevalent and has been around for a long time, androgenetic alopecia, or more commonly known as male pattern baldness can strike with little warning and its onset can occur from puberty and beyond.

Case in point, Australia is a rather laid-back country, but teenagers from this region take the issue of hair loss rather seriously. Hair loss can have a devastating impact on one’s confidence and self-esteem, some of you are caught off guard and could not bear the idea of going to school and suffering the situation of being made fun of by your peers. The good news is there is hope!

What is Androgenic Alopecia?

Male-pattern hair loss, or what is scientifically known as Androgenetic Alopecia, is the leading cause of hair loss that affect 70% of men and 40% of women. It usually starts at the temple and vertex for men. There are so many factors for its creation, including genetics, hormonal changes, medical conditions, and the environment. The latter makes hair loss in Australia pretty unique and below are the unique characteristics of this great region that can affect the hair on top of your scalp.

Hair Loss for Australian Men

A lot of the things we do, or do not do, actually contribute to hair loss. The Australian lifestyle has evolved and with it comes bigger risks of losing your precious locks. Below are the notable causes that you might want to ponder on.

The Sedentary Life

As breath-taking as the terrains of Australia are, it was surprising to find out that Australian men have been slouching a bit, literally. As soon as they reach middle adulthood, their physical activity declines a big deal with up to a whopping 58% not exercising enough to stay fit. This totally goes against the nature of human beings because we are intrinsically programmed to be active. Take a look at our ancestors who did nothing but hunt and move from one place to another all their lives.

By limiting your physical activities, you prevent your body from burning your consumed calories. These then turn into excess fats and though it sounds so remote from hair loss, these fats do not provide the hair follicles the right environment to healthily thrive in.

Having said this, it would be great to just leave your gadgets at home and start moving and exploring again. There are so many things you can do out there with your hands and bare feet. Do not miss those physical opportunities that only Australia can provide.

Diet Gone Wrong

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has announced that 68% of Australian men aged 18 and above are obese. Men have developed the liking for high caloric meals while greatly decreasing their consumption of the healthy fruits and vegetables. Such poor choices in food consumption lead to a barrage of health problems that could otherwise be prevented.

Hair loss won’t be number one in the said list of problems, but it can be noted that excessive eating of a high cholesterol diet may be the reason for your hair loss. To date, the AIHW has also reported that sufficient fruits and vegetables have been missing in the diet of 95% of men, which makes hair weaker, thinner, and frailer, which in turn makes the hair more prone to breakage.

Next to be affected would be the sebaceous glands. They are one of the two that comprises dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is considered as the more active form of testosterone. DHT should be controlled because it has been identified as one of the leading causes of male pattern baldness. When it comes to contact with hair, it triggers the gradual decline and baldness of the scalp.

The inability to control a balanced healthy diet, can also cause the fluctuation of hormone levels and becomes another cause of hair loss. Once you notice the symptoms, you should start cutting back on high cholesterol foods and cutting back the amount of food you consume in general. Just do not forget to go the natural and healthy way. A lot of diets have compromised the ability of the body to metabolize and has created more problems along the way because of this. Yo-yo dieting is definitely out of the question. For this reason, it would be good to get the opinion of experts like dieticians or doctors, just to be sure that you are doing things correctly.

Body and Hair Intoxication

Drinking alcohol has always been considered a health risk and it is alarming to note that according to the AIHW, 6% of the men who drink alcohol drink it at dangerous levels, posing some serious risks on their health as 4% have placed themselves at high-risk levels.

But how does alcohol affect hair growth? Alcohol depletes the body of iron – a very important mineral as far as hair health is concerned. Once this is depleted, you can expect your hair to shed excessively. Another relatively unknown fact is that alcohol can increase oestrogen and decrease your zinc levels. Such changes also lead to loss of hair. Other important nutrients that can be affected would be folic acid, and vitamins B and C. With low levels of the said nutrients, the hair follicles weaken and make it vulnerable to breaking and falling out. A few binges will not hurt of course, but regular night-outs with lots of alcohol involved may trigger the onset of hair loss.

Stress and Hair Loss

Stress levels have increased through the years and human beings cope with them by leading some really unhealthy lifestyles. This specifically refers to over-eating or under-eating for some and how stress causes hormonal fluctuations that also encourage hair loss and deterioration of the body’s health in general. Such an increase can be attributed to the multitude of concerns that the men from this generation have to face, concerns that were not around a couple of years ago.

Because of this, Australian men have to learn how to handle stress more efficiently to improve their health and prevent hair loss from happening. Keeping a sunny disposition could help in changing the attitude that Australian men have as far as coping with their problems is concerned. Increasing physical activity is also known to improve hormonal balance and is a good and healthy way to deal with hair loss.

With the good understanding of the aforementioned causes, people would have a better idea on how hair loss works and what should be avoided to prevent it from happening. Unfortunately for a lot of people, the knowledge fulfils the role of solving the issue and not preventing it. The Australian government has released health guidelines for people to follow. But in spite of the information campaign, male Australians have chosen to ignore them and go with their ways. Sadly, this points to a longer battle against hair loss in the country.

Medihair Hair Transplant Clinics in Melbourne specializes in FUE hair transplant surgery, which will help you restore your losing locks with proper pre-surgical assessment. Board-certified surgeon Dr. Andrew Kim and Dr Mario Marzola are among the reliable surgeons in the hair restoration field with their extensive training and knowledge, to best advise you on what course of treatment you should take.

To learn more how we can help you, give us a call or simply fill-out our inquiry form to schedule your consultation with our specialists today!

Call 1300 355 325 today!

AUTHOR

Bianca Shaw

A well-respected surgical stylist, Bianca Shaw has worked in the hair loss industry for 28 years, educating and supporting patients, and working alongside many of Australia’s leading surgeons. Qualified in Trichology and Hairdressing, Bianca was initially trained by a leading hair transplant surgeon and can perform a range of procedures including hair line design, placement of grafts for maximum density, and the dissection and implantation of hair follicles.

Having worked for leading hair loss companies, and managing a number of successful hair transplant practices, Bianca is committed to helping patients understand the treatment options available, ensuring they make the best decision and get the best results to improve their appearance and quality of life.