Men: Is It Too Late To Save Your Hair?

Hair loss in men is apparently not inevitable. It's true, not all men lose their hair as they get older.

So I thought, how lucky are the men who have a full head of hair — one less thing to worry about. Not that I care mind you (I've written about the sexiest bald men, and I'm sure there are more that should now be added to this list), but because I see men get so anxious about male pattern baldness.

20 years on and off. I started when there was only a 2% solution. And when I've stopped the amount of hair loss is so much more apparent."

I was really surprised. I fired questions at him (for you, dear reader):

• Why do you use it? "I noticed a whole lot of hair around the drain pipes."

Really? Who notices stuff like that!

• Why do you think it works? "When I stop using it for a month or more, I notice much greater hair loss."
• How can you tell it works if you've been using it for so long? "I have much more hair than my male relatives who do not use it."

Hmmm, I don't know how you measure degrees of male pattern baldness, or lack thereof … or if men even talk about hair loss. Pssst. Are you using Rogaine? Come on.

So I turned to Dr. Robert Leonard, whom I had consulted about the myths surrounding hair loss:

 Can Rogaine lose its effectiveness over time?

Rogaine remains effective as long as you continue to use it correctly and consistently.  My most successful patients have made the habit of using it twice a day, every day – after their morning shower, and after they brush their teeth at night."

How do you even know you're balding?

It's normal to lose up to 100 hairs per day.  If it's more than that, it's probably male pattern baldness."

 Are there other ways to monitor hair loss?

Men with thinning hair might notice more hair in the drain, more hair on their clothing during the day, and they may actually feel less hair when they touch the top of their heads.  In the winter, they may notice their scalp is colder and in the summertime, they may notice they sunburn more easily."  

 What's the first step men should take when they notice their hair is thinning?

For men with male pattern baldness, the most important thing is treatment — the earlier, the better. If they don't do anything, the hair loss will progress, and get worse. The first treatment I recommend is Rogaine because it works, it's available over-the-counter, and it really is easy to use."

 And the all important: Is it ever too late to start hair loss treatment?

As long as you still have hair on your head, it's never too late to start treatment.  Rogaine works to help stop hair loss and even regrow hair."  

(Dr. Leonard is a hair restoration surgeon, so he often recommends implants as an option for men who no longer have working hair follicles. Male pattern baldness is his business, so isn't Rogaine essentially putting him out of a job?)

My friend Judd swears by the foam and is happy the solution has increased to 5% (FDA-approved).

Here's the Quick & Dirty on Hair Loss Prevention with Rogaine:

• Twice a day like brushing your teeth: clinical testing showed hair regrowth in 85% of men who used it twice daily.
• Patience! In this case patience isn't just its own reward, patience will get you more hair. "Rogaine takes time to work," says Dr. Leonard, "about 4 months for most men. Don't stop using it after 2 months — give yourself a chance to see the results!"
• Consistency: As Judd noted, he loses more hair when he stops using it. You can save money by having it auto shipped — $29.99 for 1-month supply; $49.99 for 3-month supply, but about half that, $15/month (less than 50 cents a day) if you sign up for the automatic delivery – but, you know, that would require a commitment. At least I know Judd can commit to this.

Here Dr. Leonard explains how to apply it.

Need a little style advice? Thom Priano of Garren salon in NYC, an expert in styling thinning hair (he styled our female model here) and Rogaine devotee, offers these guidelines:

• A big trend for men in 2012: keep hair short on the sides and longer on the top – great for minimizing the appearance of thinning on top. Slick back the top for a look like Ryan Gosling.
• A touch of volumizing mousse or pomade helps hair appear thicker – but keep it minimal.  Right now it's all about clean, natural looking hair
• Don't over compensate your thinning hair with a full beard – clean-shaven faces are in this season. It's all about fresh, healthy looking hair and skin.

Disagree! With all respect to Thom, I love beards. Go nuts if you want; plus, it's winter. Just do not constantly pull, tug or otherwise futz with it. If you're going to do that, then he's right, shave away!

*Judd is shy, this is a version of his real name.