A man scratching his head with white flakes falling down his shoulders is almost as common a character as a war-mongering mistress on Philippine television. Shampoo brands spend millions of pesos to air repetitive commercials of men with dandruff to advertise products that promise to solve it “with just one wash.”

It has come to a point where Filipino men have been conditioned to think that dandruff is the only hair issue they should be addressing—not lice, because it is presumed to only be prevalent among children and teens, nor split ends, because that’s for women’s shampoo to solve.

But, the narrow-minded focus on dandruff in men overshadows a more alarming issue that men as early as 20 experience: hair loss

What is hair loss?

We should first familiarize ourselves with the phenomenon of hair loss. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, it’s normal to shed between 50 to 100 hair strands a day. However, if you exceed this number, you might be experiencing excessive hair shedding.

Hair loss, on the other hand, occurs when hair stops growing due to factors like heredity, drugs and treatments, and prolonged use of products and processes that tend to overwork the hair, among others.

Whichever way you choose to take on the issue of hair fall, still the best way is to address it as early as now

Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss, although it does not refer to only one type of hair loss. The three most common types that most dermatologists see, according to the American Hair Loss Association, are androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness), telogen effluvium (disrupted hair growth), and alopecia areata (autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles), which can affect parts of the body other than the scalp.

Is there a cure for hair fall?

The good news is, while some of the previously mentioned types of hair loss are extreme cases, many things can be done to combat the onset of hair loss. Depending on the diagnosis, solutions can range from switching products to undergoing operations for advanced cases.

One of the easiest things you can do to manage hair loss as early as now is to use the right type of shampoo.

Dove Men+Care’s line of strengthening shampoo targets hair fall in its two primary forms: hair fall from the roots and from breakage. Dove Men + Care’s nourishing formula can make hair up to five times stronger and reduce hair fall due to breakage, while trichazole actives reduce hair fall from the roots. It also contains caffeine known to enhance the growth of hair follicles.

While for advanced cases of hair loss from aging, simple tricks like choosing the proper hairstyle might make a difference along with prescription drugs. But whichever way you choose to take on the issue of hair fall, still the best way is to address it as early as now. A change in habit, along with switching up your usual products like shampoo might just save you from losing your hair.

Photos courtesy of Pixabay