雄性禿頭影響形象?  醫生籲及早正視助你輕鬆擁有濃密秀髮

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發布時間: 2024/10/14 00:00

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頭髮脫落是正常的新陳代謝現象,其後會長出新生的頭髮,但若每日脫髮量過多,新生頭髮生長速度卻異常緩慢,難免令人擔心頭髮會越來越稀疏¹,影響外觀、打擊自信,更會對日常社交以至情緒帶來困擾²。近年男性脫髮更有年輕化趨勢³,這次邀請到何頌恒醫生為大家解答各種脫髮問題,以及治療方案,原來只要及早治療及治療得當,有望改善頭髮稀疏及脫髮問題,有助重拾自信。

髮量變少要警惕

如何定義脫髮?何頌恒醫生指出,東方人約有十萬條頭髮,每日的正常總脫髮量約100條,因此若洗澡時掉下30至40條頭髮已算多⁴,⁵,他建議大家多留意頭髮有沒有明顯變幼、減少甚至變得稀疏,因為有機會出現脫髮問題。最常見的脫髮為雄性禿頭(雄禿),主要在男性中發生¹,何頌恒醫生解釋,雄禿主要受荷爾蒙影響¹,雄禿以外,其他原因如缺鐵性貧血,甲狀腺失調藥物如治療暗瘡時服用維他命A酸均有機會引致脫髮⁶,,⁸,男士和女士的症狀有明顯差別,「男性雄禿以M字額、地中海等情況為主,禿髮只出現於部分位置但其他位置仍然茂盛,女性則多出現於頭頂分界位置¹。」

求診者趨年輕化

何頌恒醫生指脫髮會隨住年齡增長而逐漸增加,20歲以上人士約20%患有脫髮問題,到了30歲後比例則提升至30%⁹。隨着社會大眾越來越着重儀表及個人形象,關注脫髮問題亦大為提高,年輕一族的求診數字提升,曾有年僅20歲學生求診,「亦曾有一名20多歲男士,雖然不是從事接觸客戶的工作,但有機會上台滙報工作,卻因脫髮問題,被同事以外觀因素攻擊,因而錯失一些機會,故前來求診望解決脫髮問題。」何醫生指雖然脫髮並不會危及健康,但會影響外觀,導致失去自信,對身心帶來負面影響²,應儘早正視問題,及早求醫諮詢專業意見,選擇最適切的治療方案。

何頌恒醫生指脫髮分不同階段,越早治療,效果越佳,相反後期才接受治療,治療會越困難。

及早治療 把握黃金時機

目前主要治療男性脫髮方案,包括口服藥物、外用噴劑及植髮手術三種¹⁰。口服藥物特點是有助保住現有頭髮,生髮作用則視乎個人而定,約60%個案可成功使髮頂至後方位置的頭髮重生,前面位置的生髮成功率約為50%¹¹。以口服藥非那雄胺(Finasteride)為例,可抑制5α還原酶,阻斷雙氫睾酮(DHT)的形成,藥物為每日服用一次,約6個月時間可見效¹¹,何頌恒醫生重申及早治療的重要性:「口服藥物保髮功效相對顯著,但若頭髮已脫落較嚴重,不及早接受治療,不能達致最佳效果¹²。」一般來說,口服藥物有機會出現副作用,包括精子數量減少、降低性慾以及性能力等,性慾降低機會為0.3%(第5年)及1.9%(首年)¹¹,¹³,需按醫生指示服用。至於外用噴劑,患者將藥劑噴在頭皮表面,「需要早晚使用,約4至6個月起見效,剛開始使用的1至2個月會稍微多掉頭髮,噴劑具刺激性,有機會刺激皮膚。¹⁴,¹⁵,¹⁶」外用噴劑可與口服藥物互相配合使用,論便捷度及效用,以口服藥物為佳¹⁰,¹⁷,¹⁸。

除了藥物治療外,微創植髮手術也是常見治療方案之一,透過進行局部麻醉手術,可將「捐髮區」(即「後尾枕」位置)部分頭髮移植到雄禿位置,術後需休養約一星期¹⁰。何頌恒醫生表示,植髮是移植頭髮並非生髮:「植髮手術要視乎後面髮量,若本身髮量已不多則只能減少移植數量,若髮量較少則可以先吃藥改善狀況,再進行手術。」他補充,原本的在頭頂及前額的頭髮,仍會受荷爾蒙或隨年紀增長而繼續脫落,與移植髮絲之間漸漸出現罅隙,故建議植髮人士術後繼續服用藥物。¹⁰

何頌恒醫生指求診人士漸趨年輕化,這與大眾關注外觀、形象有密切關係。

生活護髮小知識 

何頌恒醫生指出,生活習慣會導致脫髮問題,「吸煙的影響較大,煙草中的尼古丁會破壞毛嚢質量而影響頭髮生長¹⁹,另外,極端節食更是大忌,不但使身體缺乏重要營養,更會降低新陳代謝而導致靜止期脫髮²⁰。」除此之外,若想減少脫髮,應避免過度用力拉扯頭髮²¹。其實,脫髮並不是不治之症,只要不諱疾忌醫,把握黃金機會求診,醫生會因應患者情況作出合適處方,助患者重新煥「髮」光彩。

HK-PRO-110082 OCT/2024
(資料由何頌恒醫生提供)

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