Alessa Avec Fashion

Finally the exorbitant physical pain associated with male-pattern hairloss has been documented by The Onion, a hysterical parody of news media. In a report titled "Male Hairloss is 7 Times More Painful Than Child Birth," the article reported...
"Clinical studies show that as hair gradually separates from the scalp, men experience intensifying waves of all-consuming pain equivalent to having their insides ripped out through the thousands of tiny follicles on their head," said Vincent Kwan, who led the all-male research team that carried out the study. "While strong uterine contractions and tearing of the vaginal walls undoubtedly cause a degree of discomfort among women in labor, balding men would give anything to experience those sensations instead of lying awake and suffering all night as their hair thins."

Spencer Kobren, who has a show, a website, and a book about hair loss, discusses what hair loss feels like for some men. In this recent show (here's an excerpt, and about 3:00 in) he talks about the impact hair loss had on him and has on others. If you're a YouTube user, his channel name is baldtruthradio (the name of his popular radio show).

In his most popular video, Kobren, founder and president of the American Hair Loss Association, discusses how to pick a hair-loss surgeon.

Here's a guy who became aware of hair loss while he was young, and spent his career helping others.

I'm always amazed by the myths of hairloss. Wear a hat, lose your hair? Please. Hair loss comes from the mother's side? Nope. Hair loss is inevitable? Not true.

Here's a site I inherited while at Merck, and it has some nice myths and facts. Probably my favorite regulatory/legal meeting ever was when an attorney asked for citation on a myth. How do you cite a myth?

Stress can cause hairloss, but it's not the same as male-pattern hairloss. It would typically be in patches in odd places, and that's also caused by other medical issues. Typically hair loss is simply genetics (from mom or dad's side) and treatable... with medication. There are a bunch of causes of hairloss, but if it's slow and progressive, it's usually genetically caused "male pattern hair loss." I haven't been wildly convinced of the efficacy of shampoos or products beyond minoxidil or finasteride. But maybe others have had better experiences with Nioxin or other lotions/potions. Some vouch for laser therapy, and that seems to be one of the few interesting innovations in an otherwise quiet marketplace.

Hats don't cause hairloss. Neither does rubbing the head. The hair follicles just die over time.

Best comment from a guy in our research:

"My mama said to use cayenne pepper on my head. It turned it red." Cayenne pepper might improve some blood flow, but I think mama got the last laugh.