| Throughout time, whenever people start talking | | | | hair follicles shrink. This thins the hair and slows |
| about baldness, they almost always focus on the | | | | the rate at which hair is replaced as it is shed. But, |
| threat to self-esteem. Most cultures have decided | | | | higher levels of testosterone seem to lower the |
| that men who lose their hair early are somehow | | | | risk of a growth. There are two points of interest |
| worthy of mockery. Inevitably, this has put | | | | in this story. The first is the presence of contrary |
| pressure on men to avoid or hide the problem. In | | | | research evidence showing a higher risk of cancer |
| reality, the poor quality of many wigs and | | | | among the prematurely bald. Unfortunately, male |
| toupées signalled the wearer's embarrassment | | | | pattern baldness and prostate cancer have the |
| and aggravated the social difficulties. In turn, this | | | | same triggering cause and both develop as men |
| opened up a market to the unscrupulous to sell | | | | age. There needs to be further research to |
| magic remedies. We still celebrate this time in our | | | | distinguish the cause and effect of both conditions. |
| history by retaining the idea of "snake oil" and | | | | Put simply, asking men to remember when they |
| "elixirs" from the Traveling Medicine Shows. But | | | | began losing their hair is not very reliable scientific |
| the results in a recent study published in Cancer | | | | evidence. Secondly, propecia, the drug now shown |
| Epidemiology may be a sign that men who lose | | | | as effective in treating male pattern baldness |
| their hair early are the lucky ones. Instead of | | | | because it prevents the conversion of |
| despair as their hair recedes, they should be | | | | testosterone to DHT, was originally developed as |
| celebrating the news their risk of prostate cancer | | | | a treatment for benign growths in the prostate. It |
| is halving. The study involved some two thousand | | | | is somewhat ironic to see modern research |
| men in their forties, half of whom had been | | | | treading the same path that led to the FDA |
| diagnosed with prostate cancer. In reviewing their | | | | expanding the use of propecia from prostate |
| medical histories, the researchers noted that men | | | | growths to a treatment for male pattern |
| whose hair began thinning in their twenties were | | | | baldness. So where does this leave us? As it |
| the least likely to develop a growth in the | | | | stands, this latest research is on its own and |
| prostate (whether cancerous or benign). In | | | | contradicted by earlier work. It has a doubtful |
| publishing these results, a clear distinction must be | | | | scientific method and a relatively small number of |
| made between the natural thinning and loss of hair | | | | participants. Before we can celebrate early balding, |
| that affects all men as they age, and male | | | | we need a better designed research program |
| pattern baldness which characteristically affects | | | | with a significantly larger number of men involved. |
| younger men. The reduction in the risk of cancer | | | | Only if these new findings are confirmed can men |
| benefits those who lose their hair prematurely. | | | | with male pattern baldness feel better about their |
| The researchers speculate this is a consequence | | | | hair loss. Until then, all they have to rely on is the |
| of the changing level of testosterone in those | | | | ever reliable propecia — so long as you start |
| who go bald. The higher the level of hormone, the | | | | early enough, it slows hair loss and can prompt |
| more the body produces dihydrotestosterone | | | | some regrowth. |
| (DHT). With more DHT in the bloodstream, the | | | | |