Most men with severe hair loss tend to retain hair on the back of their head, because testosterone tends to impact the forehead more than the back. (image: Luce Clinic)
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — Steamy weather in the summer and in-between seasons with fluctuating temperatures increases the risk of hair loss.
Hair loss impacts the psychological state of a person in addition to the physical state, and may trigger depression and lower self-esteem.
Most men, when experiencing unusual loss of hair, begin to worry about baldness.
The Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service reported that alopecia patients have increased in number from 208,000 in 2014 to 224,000 in 2018.
The rate of increase was starker among younger Koreans.
Last year’s treatment records showed that more than 40 percent of all baldness patients were in their 20s (18.2 percent) and 30s (22.8 percent).
“Young men in their 20s and 30s are under a lot of stress due to hair loss,” said Dr. Jeong Byeong-cheol, head of Rosee Dermatology Clinic.
Why are men more vulnerable to hair loss than women?
Most hair loss among men begins from the forehead, when the hairline recedes to form an “M” shape.
This phenomenon is closely related to testosterone, a primary male sex hormone.
Most men with severe hair loss tend to retain hair on the back of their head, because testosterone tends to impact the forehead more than the back.
Testosterone combines with 5α-reductase located in the hair follicle to produce Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which shortens the growth span of hair and softens its structure to cause baldness.
The easiest way for men to check the risk of baldness is to measure the amount of hair loss.
Normally, 50 to 100 hairs are lost each day. If the daily amount of hair loss exceeds 100 hairs, it may be a sign of baldness.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
