Men left scratching their heads over inability to stop hair loss

Men typically notice that their hair has become thin when they see their heads from an unusual angle, a survey conducted by a pharmaceutical company has found.

Nine out 10 people surveyed by Banyu Pharmaceutical Co. said they are taking countermeasures such as frequently washing their hair or using hair tonic, but 45 percent of them said their efforts are ineffective.

The company surveyed 1,100 men aged between 20 and 49 on the Internet from Sept. 2 to 6 who had noticed that they were losing their hair.

When asked how old they were when they found that their hair had become thin, most of them, or 23 percent, said between 25 and 29, followed by 20 percent who replied 30 to 34 and 17 percent who answered between 20 and 24, with the average being 30.9.

The largest percentage of respondents, or 43 percent, noticed that they had lost a considerable amount of hair when they saw their own head from an unusual direction, using devices such as surveillance cameras. Nearly a quarter of the respondents said their wives, lovers or friends had pointed out that they were losing their hair.

Most respondents said they regularly gathered information from TV or the Internet on how to protect their hair, but Banyu Pharmaceutical officials said many of them had received inaccurate information.

About 80 percent responded that to protect their hair, they should not wear hats because their head would become sweaty. In truth, hats block ultraviolet rays, and help improve the circulation of the blood in the head during winter, company officials said.

A skin specialist urged those who are worried about their hair to consult with a dermatologist instead of gathering wrong information from the Internet.

"The most important way to prevent hair from thinning is to ensure the health of your entire body. You should consult with an expert over hair loss rather than gathering a massive amount of wrong information from the Internet," said dermatologist Rie Ueki, an associate professor at Juntendo University's medical center. (Mainichi)