Why is baldness seen as an old man's disease?

[baldozer]

Guys like john kerry and others like him in my mind are proof hair loss is absolutely not aging otherwise no such man would exist. Its just obvious how bad medicine is at this stuff our understanding is a joke. Its like that big common exercise and diet generality we throw many problems under when we have no idea how something works.
MPB is just not well understood and complicated a recipe for a poorly treated condition. Its certainly not aging though or no man would escape it.
I still think in 10 years something like CB combined with propecia will effectively prevent MPB for decades so I think we are about 5 years from a preventative cure. Curing MPB in the absolute sense is at the very least 10 or probably more like 20+ away

From what I've seen, if you haven't started balding before 30, you would most likely keep hair forever. In other words, those who do go bald, usually do so before 30. So, I don't understand how baldness is an old man's disease. Either you are bald or you are not bald, and that doesn't depend on age beyond 30.

[burtandernie]

Guys like john kerry and others like him in my mind are proof hair loss is absolutely not aging otherwise no such man would exist. Its just obvious how bad medicine is at this stuff our understanding is a joke. Its like that big common exercise and diet generality we throw many problems under when we have no idea how something works.
MPB is just not well understood and complicated a recipe for a poorly treated condition. Its certainly not aging though or no man would escape it.
I still think in 10 years something like CB combined with propecia will effectively prevent MPB for decades so I think we are about 5 years from a preventative cure. Curing MPB in the absolute sense is at the very least 10 or probably more like 20+ away

[gillenator]

It's just that, it always happens at some point in adulthood, or late teens. So it's more likely to see older people missing their hair, because they had to lose it at a point before. Are you following my not so twisted logic?

The fact is that as Spencer always say in the introduction of his show: 2/3 will be suffering from hair loss by the age of 35. There are a lot of people suffering from hair loss that are only in their twenties.

Do you really know that much people who sport a full head of hair until they are 70, then start balding? Hair loss is not an old man's disease, this is just a misconception in my opinion. You can thank the media and hollywood for that.

Hair loss is just genetic, and it can happen to anyone who's entered puberty.

I agree...

[Notcoolanymore]

The thing is it is seen as an old man disease because it is most noticeable when guys are older/old. Most guys are losing hair by the time they are in their 30's, but for the majority of those guys they can still disguise their loss or are in the early stages where most in society wouldn't classify them as bald. Most don't even know what a norwood is and would not take a second look at an older guy with a higher hair line. With the exception of many of us on this forum, most people will not have very noticeable(higher norwoods, thinning) hair loss until they reach their 40's or 50's.

[Jasari]

I started losing it late 20's, I'm nearly 45 and still thinning, albeit very slowly. Starting to show now, that's for sure.

It you're going to go bald that the best possible outcome.

[fred970]

It's just that, it always happens at some point in adulthood, or late teens. So it's more likely to see older people missing their hair, because they had to lose it at a point before. Are you following my not so twisted logic?

The fact is that as Spencer always say in the introduction of his show: 2/3 will be suffering from hair loss by the age of 35. There are a lot of people suffering from hair loss that are only in their twenties.

Do you really know that much people who sport a full head of hair until they are 70, then start balding? Hair loss is not an old man's disease, this is just a misconception in my opinion. You can thank the media and hollywood for that.

Hair loss is just genetic, and it can happen to anyone who's entered puberty.

[Mike K]

Honestly it usually is an old man disease. We are all just extremely unlucky. It's not 50% until 50 so until age 50 half of all guys have all their hair.

[fred970]

It hasn't gotten worse. What makes you say that? Do you have any proof? People just like to state that, because they think they see a lot more young people balding.

The sad truth is that, it was already the case for previous generations. My grandfather told me there were balding 18 years old with him in the army.

It's not diet, just the genes, as it always has been.

[PatientlyWaiting]

Does any one know the history of MPB, specifically what was the rate in which 18-21 year olds lost hair? I am aware that is has gotten worse over the centuries, the biggest possibility being diet.

Just because humans made an old man's disease now also a young man's disease, doesn't mean it's natural or it was supposed to be that way.

[gillenator]

IMHO, it has far more to do with the genetic disposition we receive at the time of conception. We simply can't change our genetic make-up.

The hormonal changes including those that are produced as we age also have a major impact on hair caliber, hair density, pigmentation, and overall hair quality.

Yet take a guy like John Kerry who appears to retain the same level of density and caliber but has lost all pigmentation.

Not many men his age with a head of hair like that!

[Dr. Lindsey]

Hair loss hits guys at about 10% per decade of life....meaning about 20% of guys in their 20s are losing their hair and about 70% of guys in their 70s are, although by that age even "good haired" guys will be seeing all the hairs themselves thinning.

I suspect its thought of as an old guy's problem for a couple of reasons.

First...guys get sensitive when they look different than their peers...higher forehead, crown thinning...makes a man wonder, even the most secure man.

Second...other people, male and female comment on these differences...As a facial plastic surgeon I all the time hear female patients receiving snide comments about crowsfeet, bags under the eyes They are just as insecure as us balding guys

Third...hollywood stereotyping has beaten all of this into our psyche.

Fourth...it is part of the aging process...for better or worse our genes and luck hit some of us in the hair area.

For my part, if we can take a guy with significant loss up front and give him a hairline that will be acceptable at age 40-50, that is a fight worth taking every time. But if you have a really young guy with a crown problem and genes that suggest he might lose a lot of hair...I personally try to get them to hold off. Unfortunately a good number of these guys, at least in our area, go for a crown case and then are lacking in donor hair a few years later when they really need it up front.

Remember hair is the finite resource, not money, spend it wisely.

Dr. Lindsey

[Jcm800]

Don't know if it has any relevance to Estrogen levels, but I always look like a slim ectomorph, carrying some weight now tho, six pack is a two pack. Guess that's aging tho?

Still wonder if Fin would be of benefit to someone like me..

[Morbo]

No, its not wrong. You would notice that even men with NW0 have thin hair at 60+.

The fact that your testosterone and dht levels (very gradually) decrease as you get older really is the only thing you got right in that post of yours. Allow me with to further elaborate tomorrow.

[baldozer]

Personally I think there's a big difference between 'hairloss' and 'balding'. And to be frank, the majority of men going visually going bald are 40 plus. There is no denying that.

Edit: I don't have much time right now, but just want to add that your theory about the age thing and diffuse thinning somehow being connected to 'female pattern baldness' and estrogen levels is utterly and hilariously wrong. Not sure where you get this stuff.

No, its not wrong. You would notice that even men with NW0 have thin hair at 60+.

[Jcm800]

Yeah guess I am more diffuse, but whatever.. The end game is going to be a high NW for me..

Unlike my 49 yr older brother.. He has a solid head of hair, zero loss.