Balding men should stop fretting about their retreating hairline, as a study suggests that hair loss almost halves the risk of prostate cancer.

Hair loss is a source of concern for many men, with nearly half thinking that going bald makes them feel old and less attractive, while three out of four have self-esteem problems. Most baldness is caused when hair follicles are exposed to too much dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. This is a chemical produced by the male hormone testosterone. If there is too much DHT circulating in the blood, the follicles shrink, so the hair becomes thinner and grows for less time than normal.

Researchers studied 2000 American men between the age of 40 and 47 years, half of whom had suffered prostrate cancer. They compared the cancer rate in those who remembered their hair thinning by the age of 30 with those who did not suffer hair loss.

It was found that men who start going bald by 30 years are up to 45 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer later in life. Although half of all men suffer significant hair loss by the age of 50, the researchers linked high levels of testosterone in those who go bald earlier to a lower risk of tumours.

The researchers found that men who had started to develop bald spots on the top of their heads as well as receding hairlines had lower risk of developing prostate cancer.