Male pattern baldness, commonly called MPB, is the cause of over 95% of hair loss amongst men. By the time they are 35 years of age most men in the United States will have experience some type of hair loss.

If you are among these men, chances are you may have already started taking steps to try and prevent total hair loss. Many men who experience male pattern baldness begin to notice hair loss as early as when they are twenty-one years old. This can lead to extreme stress and unhappiness in many young men.

As its name suggests, male pattern baldness usually takes on a certain pattern. For some, hair loss begins to occur at the crown of the head, and then progressively moves forward towards the forehead. For others, hair loss might begin with what is commonly known as a receding hairline, and will eventually move towards the crown of the head at the rear.

The cause of male pattern baldness is usually from a hormonal change in the body, although some men are predisposed to baldness due to their genetic makeup. When the male hormone, testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, it has a damaging effect on the hair follicles. DHT causes the hair follicles to slow down hair growth. It starts to reproduce thinner hair, and can eventually stop the reproduction of hair altogether. As this process continues, you will notice your hair becoming thinner and falling out, as baldness gradually occurs.

If you have noticed that your hair is becoming thinner, there are a few things you can do to attempt to arrest this trend. While total hair loss may not be preventable, if you are self-conscious about your hair loss, you should try one of the following:

· Don’t over wash your hair. If you wash your hair too much, you could be causing your hair to fall out at a faster rate than normal. Only wash your hair when it is dirty.

· Don’t use too many chemicals in your hair. Excessive coloring or using harsh chemicals in your hair can cause irreversible damage. Be careful about using these types of products if your hair is thinning already.

· Get a body wave. To make your hair look fuller, you can get a professional body wave in your hair. Again though, be careful about using too many chemicals in your hair.