Has Hair Loss Treatment Affected President Trump?

Feb 04, 2018 Hair Loss

President Trump is always hitting the headlines due to Tweeting and his political ideas.  His hair loss treatment is the issue at the moment.  

Medical testing has identified possibly detrimental side effects from his hair loss treatment.  This revelation solves the mystery of how he has maintained his golden hair.  

Male pattern baldness is common in middle-aged men.  Some men accept their hair loss and are happy to let nature take its course.  Others try a variety of ways to disguise their hair loss including wigs, hair pieces, hairstyles, transplants and medication.  

Finasteride treats male pattern baldness by preventing further hair loss. Hair loss treatment reduces the sensitivity of hair follicles to DHT which is a derivative of testosterone. Possible side effects include low mood and erectile dysfunction.  

The press reports explore the effectiveness of Finasteride and if it affects the President’s judgements.

 

Causes Of Hair Loss

Hair loss is also known as androgenetic alopecia and is caused by hair follicles that are sensitive to DHT.  DHT stands for dihydrotestosterone which is a form of testosterone.  Weak hair follicles result in thinning hair.  

Hair grows in three-year cycles reducing in volume each time.  Male pattern hair loss normally starts at the temples and forms an island of hair at the top of the head.  Most men don’t lose all of their hair because it continues to grow around the ears.  

Losing hair on the head does not affect the growth of hair on the rest of the body. Genetics play a part so looking at male relatives will tell you if you are likely to go bald.  Some men accept hair loss and are happy to shave their heads while others will try anything to cure their baldness.

 

Treatment

There is no cure for losing hair so treatment has to be ongoing.  Wigs, hairpieces and weaves hide bald patches but require a lot of maintenance.  Weaves risk damaging the remaining hair and making it thinner than it was to start off with.

Hairdressers are really good at cutting hair so that it makes the most of the hair you have got. Comb-overs really are a thing of the past and do nothing to hide the fact that you are going bald.  

Eventually, they will shave your head so that the hair loss is less prominent. Hair transplants involve transplanting healthy hair follicles into areas of the scalp that are missing follicles.  The procedure is very expensive and is not always successful. Elton John and Wayne Rooney are known to have had a transplant. The NHS offer advice to help you understand your hair loss.

 

Finasteride

Finasteride is a treats hair loss by reducing hair follicles sensitivity to DHT. President Trump is a good example of someone who is using the treatment successfully.

Anything that reacts with hormones in the body is going to have side effects.  The press highlight erectile dysfunction and depression as two prominent side effects. A clinical trial found erectile dysfunction and depression to be uncommon side effects.  

This means that you may or may not encounter these issues if you take Finasteride. If you do suffer any undesirable side effects you should consult your doctor.   The press is making such a big deal about erectile dysfunction and depression because they undermine the power of the President.  

Trump is highly unlikely to change his treatment due to articles in the press. Finasteride is only effective if you have hair to preserve.  If your head is already bald you are too late because it only halts hair loss.  When you stop taking the treatment hair loss will resume within a year.

By Parv Sagoo (April 2018)