More young men on baldness drugs: 'Hair is a big part of your identity'

Hair loss medications

Thousands of men are taking hair loss medications, and there are rapidly increasing. It mainly concerns young men between the ages of 25 and 30 who are afraid of losing their hair. Dermatologists see how insecure and depressed some men become because of hair loss.

Sometimes they are only 17 when the inlets or balding crowns develop. “That can have such a big impact on their social life,” says dermatologist Tristan van Dongen of the Spaarne Gasthuis. The doctor sees how boys skip their final exams, stop seeing friends. “They're ashamed, get a comment about their hair, for example.”

Even a top football player Cristiano Ronaldo makes no secret of being enormously afraid of going bald. In fact, he has already set up fifteen hair clinics. “I wouldn't be the same Cristiano without her,” Ronaldo told Loud FM radio station. “I think you just look better and feel more confident with her. You're more comfortable with yourself.”

The top footballer is no exception. More and more men are trying their hair loss to be inhibited with medication. Figures from the Foundation for Pharmaceutical Key Figures (SFK) show that nearly 17 percent more men started using the drug Finasteride last year. Public pharmacies had 12,500 users, with 25- to 30-year-olds being the largest group.

Psychological help

Dermatologists regularly see men who need psychological help because their hair loss makes them so depressed. “Hair is a very big part of your identity,” explains Van Dongen. “We underestimate how disastrous it is for some people when it comes off.”

According to dermatologists, there are no more men who suffer from baldness. However, the group that is looking for a solution is growing. Van Dongen: “We used to think: there's nothing you can do about it, just accept it. But nowadays, there are more treatment options and it is no longer taboo for men to do something about their hair loss.”

The hair falls out because the blood flow to the scalp worsens and more testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone. As a result, the entire cycle from hair growth to loss becomes shorter and the hair smaller and thinner. Until the hair follicle shrivels faster than desired and there are no more new hairs.

Be there on time

If men arrive on time, it is best to do something about baldness. And men know that better and better. More and more influencers are active on social media promoting baldness treatments. Nowadays, there are all kinds of hair transplant clinics. Just like other cosmetic procedures, such as facelifts and breast enhancements, trips to Turkey are possible to supplement the head of hair there.

This makes it more normal to go to the doctor for baldness. The hair clinic at Erasmus MC, for example, has a waiting list of around ten months. “If you're afraid of losing your hair yourself, you'll quickly find stories on social media from people who recommend products. And then you'll also find information about those drugs,” explains Rick Waalboer-Spuij, dermatologist at Erasmus MC.

The medicine Minoxidil can improve blood flow, while Finasteride ensures that testosterone is less converted to dihydrotestosterone at the hair follicles.

Disadvantages of treatments

Although the treatments certainly also have disadvantages. For example, the Lareb side effects center received more than a hundred reports about Finasteride. The drug is warned because of an increased risk of depressive and even suicidal thoughts. In addition, the drug may lower libido and cause erectile dysfunction.

Dermatologists also warn against treatments that are advertised online but seem too good to be true. Waalboer-Spuij: “You see that people recommend all kinds of expensive treatments. Sometimes you see before and after photos after a month, which is not possible at all. Hair grows about an inch per month. Those people are trying to make money off the fear of going bald.”

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