5 Common Hair Loss Myths You Need to Stop Believing – And The Truth Behind Them

Down Under, significant balding affects about one in five men (20%) in their 20s, about one in three men (30%) in their 30s and nearly half of men (40%) in their 40s. That’s a lot of heads.

Yet while being so common amongst Aussie men, there’s still a huge amount of misinformation about the condition. 

“The most common cause of hair loss in men is a genetic condition called Androgenetic Alopecia otherwise referred to as Male Pattern Baldness (MPB). So common, in fact, that 90% of men who have hair loss, have MPB, and the other 10% vary between vitamin deficiencies, autoimmune and traumatic causes,” says Dr Ossman Ashraf, a Hair Transplant Surgeon who works in collaboration with men’s health website Mosh and provides expert advice on the platform about hair loss.

Aiming to squash the myths surrounding hair loss and help men who are experiencing MPB with their range of different treatment options, the first thing the team at Mosh want you to know is that that magic pill claiming a “98% success rate” is probably not as magic as it sounds. Why? Because everyone is different, and your best bet is actually through a personalised treatment plan. More about that later.

For now, here are a few other myths it’s about time we debunk.

The Myths

1. It’s your grandad’s fault: It used to be that if you wanted to know your chances of keeping your hair, you looked at your maternal grandpa. If that guy had strong hair game, you were in the clear. If he was bald, your fate was sealed. Well, hate to tell you – but that’s just not true. Why? Because hair density is a polygenic trait, meaning more than one ancestor’s genes determine what’s going to happen.
2. Bald guys have more testosterone: Studies have shown that men who go bald and those who don’t have the same levels of testosterone. It’s more about how sensitive your hair follicles are to the influence of hormones in your body. And what determines that sensitivity? Genetics.
3. Tanning will make your hair fall out: Sure, UV rays aren’t great for your head, and you should always where a hat in the sun when you can, but lying out in the sun is not exactly making you go bald. The concern here is that sun exposure can degrade the hair shaft itself. It can also make it more damaged and brittle, which could lead to shedding.
4. Wearing a hat too much suffocates your hair: Sorry – not it. Sure, while a really tight hat can put pressure on areas and lead to traction alopecia, unless you are being really aggressive with the tightness, there’s nothing to worry about.
5. Male pattern baldness only affects older men: It actually starts for men at around 19 – so if you do have concerns, we recommend starting a hair-strengthening regime early, as prevention is better than cure.

The Facts

1. It basically happens to everyone: As many as 85% of men will have some sort of hair loss in their lifetime, and it can happen for different reasons. Usually it’s due to Male pattern baldness (MPB), also known as androgenetic alopecia or androgenic alopecia.
2. It can affect your mental health: For many guys, feeling good requires looking good too. You may need a hairy head to feel confident and take steps to build the life you want, and that’s totally okay.
3. The food you eat could play a part: When it comes to hair loss, it pays to look at your diet. In the developed world, nutritional deficiencies leading to hair loss are quite rare, but if anything, it’s worth talking about protein and iron.
4. Age will get you…eventually: Whether you have Male Pattern Baldness or not, hair thinning and loss is actually a normal part of ageing for everyone. It’s called involutional alopecia. That’s not to say you’ll lose all your hair as a result of ageing, but as hormones in the body change with age, and the rate of hair growth naturally slows, the number of hair strands on your head will decrease.
5. It is treatable: There are great treatments on the market but don’t fall for any gimmicks – doctor prescribed treatments are usually the best and most evidenced based. Read on for more about that…

The Treatments

“Remember it is common to shed 60-100 hairs a day, this is part of normal physiology. Certain animals have a shedding phase where it all comes out together but in humans we simply shed a small amount every day,” adds Dr Ossman. “The first signs of hair loss are usually when you can see through to your scalp. Unfortunately, by that stage you have already had at least 30% hair loss without even knowing about it! So, it is important to get yourself seen at the first sign of thinning to start treatment. This is where online platforms like Mosh come in super handy!”

To make the process of seeking treatment for your hair loss easy, Mosh offers a results-driven hair loss solution that not only has a 90-day guarantee, but connects you to a slew of health professionals in a convenient and discreet way – all 100% online. All you have to do is fill out a simple quiz, and a doctor will recommend a personalised and clinically proven treatment solution (oral and/or topical) within 48 hours.

The platform also offers a specially formulated shampoo and conditioner, as well as a vitamin that supports hair growth and thickening, if you’re on the prevention bandwagon.

You can find out about all of that here.