Hair loss through the centuries

In the time when homo was still trying to work out whether it had earned the sapiens title, we would all sit around the fire in the cave and gnaw on a bone (assuming we still had our teeth, of course). Indeed, when you think about it, having hands to pull the meat off the animal and teeth to chew it were always more important physical attributes than still having hair on your head. Eating to stay strong is more important than looking good when the next big animal may trample you to death before you can kill it. Just ask Conan. Yet, even around that camp fire, the first signs of firelight reflecting off the shining skull was a sign to be dreaded. It meant you were growing old. In the competition to command the more attractive women, the young males would soon be challenging you. When you were beaten, you would have to stay back in the cave like a women. Life has never been very forgiving when hunting is the main source of food for the tribe.

Even when we moved out of the forests and built on the plains, age was still the most important feature. The young males would till the land and grow the crops, fighting off any thieves from nearby villages. Once you lost your strength, you were still little better than the women. The first time the old managed to get a say in anything was when civilization was born on the backs of the slaves. Once you had a workforce that would provide the food and a standing army to keep you safe, the old could earn money and status by becoming merchants. The best and wisest could become politicians and leaders. Yet there was always that insecurity as hair disappeared. So the men who lived in Ancient Rome and Greece were always on the lookout for the miracle cure to put the hair back where it belonged. The cult of youth never completely went away. There was a sucker born every minute who would buy the next magic potion to rub on their balding heads. Bitter experience never killed the market as desperation drove men to ever more extraordinary lengths to experiment with different animal and plant extracts.

It's only when we come into the end of the last century that the first genuine hair loss product was discovered - and that was a pure accident. The manufacturer was running clinical trials for a new drug intended to slow down the growth of a tumor in the prostate gland. Imagine the researchers' surprise when men reported their hair was growing back. The rest, as they say, is history as the manufacturer quickly redesigned the clinical trials to test for hair regrowth. Now the FDA proudly licenses Propecia as the safe and effective treatment for male pattern baldness. Ah, notice the limitation. This is not for all hair loss problems. Even more importantly, it's not for older men. Nothing can slow down aging. Propecia is for premature balding in younger men. Always make sure you have the diagnosis confirmed before you start taking this drug. It takes three to six months before you can expect to see any results. If you do not have male pattern baldness, taking this drug will be of no help at all.