Psychological Impacts of Male Pattern Hair Loss

With the plethora of hair products on the shelves today – energizing shampoos, moisturizing conditioners, funky hair dye formulas, styling gel/ wax/ clay/ mousse/ spray – it is quite hard to imagine that hair today could be gone tomorrow. Just ask the biblical strongman Samson, whose overnight loss of tresses was seen to be the cause of his downfall. In almost every society, a full head of hair is a symbol of health, virility and youthfulness. While it is obvious that losing your locks will affect your physical appearance, what happens when frequent hair loss starts to affect your psychological wellbeing?

Coping with hair loss

For men, the main culprit is a common condition known as male pattern hair loss in which hair on the scalp starts to thin rapidly, resulting in a receding hairline and balding at the top of the head. While the onset of the condition can be earlier, these physical symptoms typically start gradually in men in their early 20s and become more widespread in older men.

Research on the causes of male pattern hair loss points to heredity as one factor. The other lies in the production of a male hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) where increased levels of DHT in the balding areas lead to male pattern hair loss.

Most sufferers accept that male pattern hair loss is part and parcel of life and resort to hunting for solutions in the forms of over-the-counter hair tonics and herbal remedies. However, there is a percentage of sufferers who find it impossible to tolerate these changes in their appearances, especially if they are experiencing hair loss at an early age or excessive damage to their crowning glory. While early consultation with medical doctors can go a long way in treating the physical cause of hair loss and is the most important thing one can do, displays of anxiety may drive doctors to refer the patient to a psychiatrist.

Dr. Douglas Kong, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, explains, “Hair plays a very large part in a person’s physical appearance and a full crown is often seen to denote attractiveness, capability and intelligence. Thus, individuals with male pattern hair loss often suffer from feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem and poor confidence.” This inferiority complex in turn leads to poor performance at work and an unfulfilling social life and in severe cases, can result in depression.

A psychiatrist can help a patient evaluate his psychological wellbeing and in cases where high stress levels manifest into a high rate of hair loss, help him deal with the causes of such anxiety. Once a patient is able to understand his physical condition, he can come to terms with it more easily and gradually return to a normal life routine. According to Dr Kong, it takes three to six months to treat a patient’s anxiety or depression and about the same period of time to cure his physical condition, that is, for the hair follicles to regrow and regenerate and for the hair to return to its original fullness.

So if you are losing your hair, don’t shy away from medical treatment supplemented with psychiatric advice. It may bring relief to your head as well as your mind.