I. How does hair grow? Hair grows from the follicles under the scalp, and each follicle has a specific growth cycle: hair grows vigorously during the anagen phase, hair stops growing during the regression phase, the follicles begin to degenerate, the resting phase, also known as the terminal growth phase, and the follicles grow new hair after the hair is shed, and so on and so forth. Human hair is often in different stages of the growth cycle and does not grow or fall out at the same time. In other words, hair loss and hair growth are in a dynamic balance, shedding a certain amount of hair and at the same time, there is the same amount of new hair, if you lose more than 100 hairs a day, you need to consider whether it is pathological hair loss. Second, what factors can cause hair loss? There are many factors in the development of hair loss, including congenital and acquired factors, systemic and local causes, and some causes of hair loss are still unclear. For example, abnormal hormone levels in the body, malnutrition, serious infection, high stress, drug stimulation, radiation and other factors may cause hair loss. What is “male pattern baldness”? Male pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss, accounting for 95% of all hair loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA), seborrheic alopecia and premature baldness. It is a characteristic type of hair loss with genetic involvement and is dependent on androgen action, and can occur in both men and women. In Chinese men, the prevalence of male pattern baldness is nearly 20%, i.e. 1 in 5 people suffer from male pattern baldness. Male pattern baldness mostly occurs in men around 20 to 30 years old, and the prevalence increases with age. Fourth, how to determine if you have male pattern baldness? Generally speaking, this kind of hair loss mainly has the following manifestations: 1, mostly from the forehead on both sides of the sideburns, in an M-shaped gradually extended to the top of the head, the hairline back; 2, finally the top of the head most or all of the hair loss, the back and sides of the head hair remains, often horseshoe-shaped or U-shaped appearance; 3, hair loss where the skin is shiny, pore reduction or a little residual fine soft hair. V. What causes male pattern baldness? Genetic factors: Domestic studies have shown that 51.8% of patients with male pattern baldness have a family history. Foreign studies have confirmed that the prevalence of male pattern baldness with a family history is about 2.5 times higher than the prevalence of men without a family history of hair loss. Dihydrotestosterone: A substance called “dihydrotestosterone (DHT)” is a major factor in male pattern baldness. In patients with male pattern baldness, the level of dihydrotestosterone in the scalp increases or the sensitivity of scalp hair follicles to dihydrotestosterone increases, and the action of dihydrotestosterone on the hair follicles can cause them to gradually shrink, and the hair becomes thin and soft, with a progressive decrease in diameter and density, resulting in clinical baldness. VI. What should I do if male pattern baldness occurs? How to treat it? Male pattern baldness is a process of progressive aggravation, and if left untreated, hair loss will become increasingly serious. Therefore, treatment should be done before it is too late, and the earlier the treatment, the better the effect. At present, the common clinical treatments for male pattern baldness include oral finasteride (Bofax), topical minoxidil solution (Mandy) and surgical hair transplant. For mild to moderate male pattern baldness, oral finasteride and topical minoxidil solution are recommended for treatment, and hair loss is usually reduced in 3 months, new hair growth can be seen in 6 months, and efficacy is known at 12 months. If the drug is discontinued, the efficacy may be reversed within 12 months. Therefore, patients should set reasonable treatment expectations and adhere to the medication. For severe male pattern baldness, hair transplantation can be performed on top of medication. VII. How do the therapeutic effects of finasteride (Bofax) and minoxidil solution (Mandy) work? Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) plays an important role in the development of male pattern baldness, which causes shrinkage of hair follicles at the site of hair loss and shortens the growth period of hair. Also in male pattern baldness, the hair follicles in the area of scalp hair loss are more sensitive to dihydrotestosterone than normal people due to genetic factors. In human body, dihydrotestosterone is converted from testosterone under the action of 5α-reductase, and finasteride is a 5α-reductase inhibitor, which can block the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, thus reversing the shrinking hair follicles due to dihydrotestosterone, achieving the purpose of inhibiting hair loss and promoting hair growth. Topical drug “Minoxidil solution” can promote hair growth by stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of hair epithelial cells, promoting angiogenesis, increasing local blood circulation, and transforming hair follicles from resting stage to differentiation stage. For severe male pattern baldness, hair transplantation can be performed on the basis of drug treatment. Eight, so what is the majority of female hair loss related to? Female hair loss is more complicated than male hair loss. Women with diffuse hair loss that manifests as thinning at the top of the head should consider female pattern androgenetic alopecia, which manifests as gradually thinning hair at the top of the head with diffuse hair loss, the hairline at the forehead does not move back, and temporal hair rarely falls out. If a woman is suspected of having androgenic baldness, she should first check whether her hormone levels are normal and whether she has polycystic ovary syndrome, etc. In addition, high mental stress and poor sleep quality may cause hair loss. Will taking finasteride tablets (Bofax) affect my sex drive? According to a 5-year clinical study, there is no difference in the side effects on sexual function between patients taking finasteride and those not taking finasteride (also known as AGA), so taking finasteride is safe and reliable. And research shows that the side effects are temporary and will disappear after stopping the medication. Some people will also disappear on their own after continuing to use the medication for a period of time, and there will be no adverse effects after stopping the medication. X. Do I need to take the medication regularly if I have satisfactory hair after treatment? The duration of hair loss treatment varies depending on the severity of hair loss and the expected value of the treatment, but if you want to get long-term treatment effect, you need long-term treatment. After stopping the medication, the newly grown hair may fall out again within 12 months after stopping the medication, so it is recommended that you continue to adhere to the medication. XI. Guidelines for the use of minoxidil tincture (Mandy)? The efficacy of Mandy for male pattern baldness starts in 1 to 3 months and increases steadily with time. To use Mandy, apply to the scalp and massage with 1ml each time, twice a day, spray on the affected area of the head and massage with hands for 3-5 minutes. If you want to take a shower or swim, it must be 4 hours after the application. Hair loss may occur for a short period of time within 2-4 weeks after using Mandy, which is the process of “new hair” pushing “old hair”, and there is no need to stop using the medicine to accelerate the new hair follicles and make the hair in resting period fall off earlier. 12. Besides conventional treatment, do I need to pay attention to anything in terms of diet? In fact, it is not a single diet that is good for hair, but a balanced diet with all the necessary nutrients to have a healthy body and healthy hair, not something that can make him grow good hair. XIII. Can hair transplants treat hair loss at the root? Hair transplantation does not increase the number of hair follicles, it is transplanting hair follicles from the back of the occipital area that are not prone to hair loss to the location of hair loss, and it does not stop hair loss. After the transplantation surgery, you need to cooperate with medication to assist in the treatment. Do I need to stop taking the medication if I plan to have a baby while I am taking Bupropion? There is no data to show that imported finasteride affects fertility and does not affect sperm. However, based on China’s one-child policy, it is recommended that men stop taking the drug for 3 months before the woman conceives.