HAIR TODAY. GONE TOMORROW.
Keeping a healthy head of locks isn’t always up to us. But you can take control of the solution.
HIS
Pop culture has seen its share of sexy bald men. Think Patrick Stewart, Sean Connery, Michael Jordan. Or further back, Yul Brynner and Telly Savalas. More and more, we’re seeing a trend toward shaved heads as men give in to hair loss and embrace a bare pate. No one loves a comb-over unless they are a Trump supporter.
But what if you’re a man who isn’t ready for the razor? You’re not alone. By the age of 50, 85 per cent of men will have what the American Hair Loss Association (AHLA) calls “significant thinning hair.”
“Men go through different phases of acceptance and action when it comes to addressing hair thinning and loss, with a more reactive approach,” explains Aveda Canada creative director, Kristjan Hayden. “They may begin to notice thinning in their early 20s, but most do nothing about it. We conducted research in over six markets and found that men have low expectations in the category and think that it’s inevitable.”
The scientific name is androgenetic alopecia. We tend to refer to it simply as common male pattern baldness (MPB), which is the leading cause – 95 per cent – of hair loss in men. According to the AHLA the culprit is a genetic sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a derivative of testosterone. Hair follicles that are sensitive to DHT start to shrink, which shortens their life span, meaning they stop producing hair. When DHT is suppressed, hair follicles continue to thrive. Now if you’re one of those men who have resisted or even been depressed over your hair loss, you may have tried products such as minoxidil (Rogaine) or finasteride (Propecia) to stem the tide. Some of you – at least according to stats from 2010, more than 250,000 of you – have taken the surgical hair-replacement plunge.
Or perhaps your hair loss isn’t necessarily beyond redemption but just in need of a little fix? In other words you’d be happy if the hair you had looked thicker.
Leading hair-care brand Aveda launched Invati Men Solutions for Thinning Hair in May, a two-step system that includes a shampoo and scalp revitalizer. The core Invati system shampoo contains Densiplex, a blend of Ayurvedic herbs including turmeric and gingseng (the line was originally created for women, see facing page). The men’s line has also added fireweed, plant stem cells, caffeine and certified organic amla, all of which deliver instant thickening at the root. The Invati Men Scalp Revitalizer is a leave-in treatment that thickens hair at the root to help men keep their existing hair longer and should be used daily.