Male pattern baldness is quite common but apparently Australia has the highest number of bald men than anywhere on the planet.
According to a report by the Australian Government Department of Health significant balding affects about one in five Australian men by the time they hit their 20s, about one in three men in their 30s and nearly half of all men in their 40s. In fact the hair care industry is predicted to go up to $1.44 billion in 2023 as Australian men try to prevent baldness.
Research and development director at Australian biotech company Biogency Dr Gaunchen Sun said that it is caused by Australia’s high UV levels.
Bald Men
“UV light produces a lot of reactive oxygen species which not only damage the grown hair but also the hair follicles on the scalp. Seeing as our UV is so high, especially in the summer, this can have detrimental effects on the quality of our hair (texture/colour) as well as hair loss.
“Australia experiences some of the highest UV in the world being so close to the equator and coupled with clearer skies, the comparison is quite vast: in summer, the UK has a UV Index of 6 –8, while Australia has a UV Index of 10 – 14… [Our] strong climate is definitely a factor that increases hair loss.”
On the rise of bald men, Dr Sun said that to combat the UV problem a good diet is important to prevent rapid hair loss.
“In conjunction with taking supplements, we need to consume foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids such as fish and nuts. Sufficient protein is also important for maintaining hair volume: eggs, seafood and lean meat are good choices and green vegetables and fruits with antioxidants can help also fight reactive oxygen species to protect hair.
“We should avoid highly processed food and foods with high sugar or unhealthy fats. When you consider that Australia is one of the world’s top consumers of fast food per capita…”
Dr Sun said another issue was that men are not comfortable discussing hair loss.
“Seeing as hair care is closely tied to beauty, men have found it often difficult to take action in this department largely due to social stereotypes and norms that beauty is often strongly linked and restricted to females.
Male Issues
“However, seeing as we are becoming a lot more open and expressive when it comes to our appearances, there has been a large change in men taking more care of themselves for both aesthetic and health purposes. Seeings as the issue affects so many males, there has been a spike in the hair transplant industry [as well as] hair are products formulated for men.”
Basically the good doctor’s advice is to talk to someone if you’re worried about male pattern baldness wherever you may be.