All guys have a deep-rooted fear of losing their hair. And because of that fear of baldness, they tend to do three things:
- Sprint to the closest mirror, get about an inch away from their reflection and frantically inspect their scalp as they ask aloud, “Am I losing my hair? Will I lose my hair?” or “When will I go bald?” the moment they believe spot their hair thinning or see the early formation of a classic horseshoe pattern.
- Spend a ton of money on hair loss prevention or regrowth products and methods — $1 billion per year, according to US News & World Report.
- Believe just about everything they hear about going bald.
You see, when you’re scared, you’re more likely to believe off-the-wall theories that you’d normally cast aside as the rantings of a lunatic. (“So I just plaster this highly-acidic cream on my scalp, do a headstand for six hours, and I’ll have all of my hair again? Sounds easy enough!”) The trouble is, a lot of what we think we know about androgenic alopecia (the fancy term for hair loss) turn out to be total myths when you stack them up against science.
A few things you should know: Although there is no specific age that triggers hair loss in men, roughly two-thirds of guys will experience some degree of hair loss by the age of 35, according to the American Hair Loss Association. By the age of 50, 85 percent see their hair thin out. So, to help set the record straight and to calm your fear or balding with popping any more Xanax, we’ve listed seven of the most popular things you’ve most likely heard — and probably believed — about going bald, but simply aren’t true.
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