How is Male Pattern Baldness Diagnosed by a Physician?
Monday, December 24th, 2007Most often, male pattern baldness is diagnosed solely based on the pattern and appearance of the hair. Your physician will evaluate the amount of hair loss you have, as well as look into your family medical history. This is because male pattern baldness is often an inherited trait.
Your physician may ask you questions about the commonness of male pattern baldness in your family. Once your physician has talked with you, a skilled dermatologist may examine, under magnification, your scalp. This will allow the dermatologist to evaluate the amount of reduction that is seen in the hair follicles. It is this assessment that is usually the main deciding factor regarding the right course of treatment to take.
There are medical clinics that advertise an expensive scalp biopsy or a hair analysis to diagnose hair loss. The only time that someone needs to have a scalp biopsy is to assess whether hair loss is poison induced - this is very rare. One should avoid these so-called “medical clinics” and seek the advice of their physician or a dermatologist that is board certified.
Oftentimes, depending on the amount of hair loss, a physician will recommend an oral treatment like Propecia. Propecia is a hair loss treatment that gets down to the root cause of the problem. By blocking the hormones that cause hair loss, Propecia is highly effective at stopping any further hair loss from occurring. If you are concerned about hair loss, it is crucial that you talk with your physician. Only a physician can prescribe Propecia. The sooner you start your Propecia treatment, the better you – and your hair -will feel.