If you’re losing your locks, rest assured you’re not alone. The most common cause of hair loss, male-pattern baldness, affects approximately half of men by the time they reach the age of 50, and lots of guys start noticing the telltale signs in their 20s and 30s. Despite it being so widespread though, hair loss can still cause confusion and there are lots of myths surrounding this process. So, if you want to get more clued up about male-pattern baldness, here are three things you might now know about it. 

1. Some treatments can stop or even reverse the process 

From standing on their head to dousing their scalps in cold water, people have been trying ineffective hair loss treatments throughout the centuries. However, what many men don’t realise is that it’s now possible to access treatments that really can work. Male-pattern baldness is a genetic condition and there’s no cure for it, but certain medicines have been proven to be able to slow, stop and in some cases even reverse the process. The most effective is finasteride. A prescription medicine, it comes in tablet form and you can get it from your GP, high street chemist or specialist websites like www.europapharmacy.co.uk. Before being given a prescription, you will be asked a few health questions to ensure it’s suitable for you.

Finasteride works by blocking the production of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone, which shrinks hair follicles. It can take between three and six months for the effects to be seen, but nine in 10 men with mild to moderate male-pattern baldness notice positive results when they take this medicine. Note that if you stop taking it, you should expect your hair loss to return within a year. 

2. The gene can be passed down from your mum or dad 

It’s a common misconception that male-pattern baldness can only be passed down through the mother’s side of the family. In fact, the gene that triggers the condition can come from either parent. So, if you’ve been looking at your mum’s relatives to see if they hold the clues to the future of your follicles, you might have to broaden your scope. 

3. Shedding hair every day doesn't mean you're balding 

If you’re constantly pulling hairs out of the plughole or finding them on your clothes or in your comb, you might assume you’re balding. In fact though, it’s common for people to shed up to 100 hairs a day, and in many cases these simply grow back. It’s only if you start to notice changes to the appearance of your hairline or the thickness of your tresses that you can assume you’re losing your hair on a more permanent basis.

Lots of people learn to embrace hair loss and some prefer the shaved look, but if you’re worried about balding and want to find out more about its causes and your treatment options, you can speak to your doctor or a pharmacist.