Is Baldness Hereditary? - John Farikani
Many people are often confused with what exactly causes baldness. There are so many questions linked to baldness some of which remain unanswered. One good question on baldness which we are going to look at and try to explain what really happens is; is baldness hereditary?
To answer this question, we are going to say yes, baldness can be hereditary and also at the same time, it may not be. We are going to look at two possible factors that can lead to baldness, one being an inherited factor and the other being a non inherited factor.
The X sex chromosome carries a gene which is responsible for producing sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). This SHBG is responsible for binding onto the sex hormones so they do not get converted into compounds which can lead to hair loss. In the case of males this SHBG binds onto testosterone and prevents 5-alpha-reductase from converting it into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT causes hair follicles to shrink resulting in increased hair loss and balding. When this gene responsible for triggering the release of SHBG is mutated little or no SHBG will be released, thus resulting in high concentrations of DHT and hair loss. Since males have one X sex chromosome and women have two X sex chromosomes, it will need two mutations on different chromosomes for a woman to show this type of balding, that is why this kind of balding is more common amongst women. As we know that our sex chromosomes come from our parents, these mutated genes will continue to be passed from generation to generation. This is called inherited baldness.
Now that we have looked at inherited baldness, we are going to look at a kind of baldness that is caused by a disorder which is not inherited. One such baldness is baldness caused by nutrient deficiency. The hair follicles and hair depend on the nutrients that come from the diet for survival. If the body is malnourished it directs the essential nutrients towards the much important organs and functions. Usually the hair follicles and hair will be last in that hierarchy. This will lead to regressing of the hair follicles as they will be receiving less amino acids for growth, this will also affect the rate of hair production. This is one of the reasons why during starvation hair loss is one of the first symptoms to be noticed. This is so for the body will be singling out the less important functions while directing all the nutrients towards functions which are crucial for survival. Other non inherited forms of baldness include baldness caused by disease, e.g. fungi and bacteria.
Now that we know baldness can be inherited or can happen by other means, we now have to know if it is possible to treat both forms of baldness- the inherited form and the non-inherited form. The answer is yes, both forms of baldness can be treated and there are a lot of drugs available on the market which can be used to treat both kinds of baldness.
To answer this question, we are going to say yes, baldness can be hereditary and also at the same time, it may not be. We are going to look at two possible factors that can lead to baldness, one being an inherited factor and the other being a non inherited factor.
The X sex chromosome carries a gene which is responsible for producing sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). This SHBG is responsible for binding onto the sex hormones so they do not get converted into compounds which can lead to hair loss. In the case of males this SHBG binds onto testosterone and prevents 5-alpha-reductase from converting it into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT causes hair follicles to shrink resulting in increased hair loss and balding. When this gene responsible for triggering the release of SHBG is mutated little or no SHBG will be released, thus resulting in high concentrations of DHT and hair loss. Since males have one X sex chromosome and women have two X sex chromosomes, it will need two mutations on different chromosomes for a woman to show this type of balding, that is why this kind of balding is more common amongst women. As we know that our sex chromosomes come from our parents, these mutated genes will continue to be passed from generation to generation. This is called inherited baldness.
Now that we have looked at inherited baldness, we are going to look at a kind of baldness that is caused by a disorder which is not inherited. One such baldness is baldness caused by nutrient deficiency. The hair follicles and hair depend on the nutrients that come from the diet for survival. If the body is malnourished it directs the essential nutrients towards the much important organs and functions. Usually the hair follicles and hair will be last in that hierarchy. This will lead to regressing of the hair follicles as they will be receiving less amino acids for growth, this will also affect the rate of hair production. This is one of the reasons why during starvation hair loss is one of the first symptoms to be noticed. This is so for the body will be singling out the less important functions while directing all the nutrients towards functions which are crucial for survival. Other non inherited forms of baldness include baldness caused by disease, e.g. fungi and bacteria.
Now that we know baldness can be inherited or can happen by other means, we now have to know if it is possible to treat both forms of baldness- the inherited form and the non-inherited form. The answer is yes, both forms of baldness can be treated and there are a lot of drugs available on the market which can be used to treat both kinds of baldness.
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