What is Male Pattern Baldness?
Many factors can cause or contribute to hair loss. Stress, poor diet, drug use, sleep deprivation, and infection have all been shown to adversely affect an otherwise healthy hair follicle. However, the most common cause is male pattern baldness. Medically termed androgenic alopecia, this genetic condition affects thousands of men around the world.
How Do You Get Male Pattern Baldness?
Male pattern baldness is genetic. A young man may look to his maternal and/or paternal side of the family tree to find whether he is more likely to develop the condition. Pattern baldness is passed on to offspring through the X chromosome, wherein reside our androgen receptors (which determine how the body will deal with certain hair loss-inducing hormones later). Many believe that hair loss only originates from the maternal side of the family, but this is only partially true. Since women have two X chromosomes and men have one X and one Y, women are twice as likely to pass the condition on. But men still do have one X chromosome, thus they, too, can pass androgenic alopecia on to their children.
Once male pattern baldness is inherited, the mechanism that actually causes loss of hair is hormones. Testosterone, combined with the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, turns into diydrotestosterone, also called DHT. This powerful hormone is most prevalent in the scalp, where it attacks the hair follicles, causing them to atrophy and shrivel to the point of breaking off or becoming "peach fuzz."
Solutions to Male Pattern Baldness
Unfortunately there is no cure for this condition. However, there are many options for concealing hair loss, from the non-surgical to the surgical. The best option for you will depend on several variables, from your age, to the stage of your hair loss, to your financial means. Over the counter concealers and medications can work well for the early stages of androgenic alopecia. For more advanced cases, today's hair transplantation technologies afford permanent re-growth that is undetectable as surgical restoration. Some options include:
How Do You Get Male Pattern Baldness?
Male pattern baldness is genetic. A young man may look to his maternal and/or paternal side of the family tree to find whether he is more likely to develop the condition. Pattern baldness is passed on to offspring through the X chromosome, wherein reside our androgen receptors (which determine how the body will deal with certain hair loss-inducing hormones later). Many believe that hair loss only originates from the maternal side of the family, but this is only partially true. Since women have two X chromosomes and men have one X and one Y, women are twice as likely to pass the condition on. But men still do have one X chromosome, thus they, too, can pass androgenic alopecia on to their children.
Once male pattern baldness is inherited, the mechanism that actually causes loss of hair is hormones. Testosterone, combined with the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, turns into diydrotestosterone, also called DHT. This powerful hormone is most prevalent in the scalp, where it attacks the hair follicles, causing them to atrophy and shrivel to the point of breaking off or becoming "peach fuzz."
Solutions to Male Pattern Baldness
Unfortunately there is no cure for this condition. However, there are many options for concealing hair loss, from the non-surgical to the surgical. The best option for you will depend on several variables, from your age, to the stage of your hair loss, to your financial means. Over the counter concealers and medications can work well for the early stages of androgenic alopecia. For more advanced cases, today's hair transplantation technologies afford permanent re-growth that is undetectable as surgical restoration. Some options include:
- Vitamins – oftentimes, malnourishment due to stress, unhealthy diet, or poor blood circulation can leave follicles lacking the nutrients they need to thrive. A daily multivitamin can clear this up quickly.
- Cosmetic hair loss concealers – keratin-based micro-fiber powders like Toppik and Nanogen adhere to the exisiting hair follicles, making them appear thicker, thus filling out the thin areas.
- Medications – The FDA has approved two medications for reversing hair loss: Propecia and Rogaine. Propecia (finasteride) is prescription only and is contraindicated in women and children. Rogaine (minoxidil) can be obtained over-the-counter. They have both been shown to work well reversing hair loss that is caught at an early stage. However, neither reverses advanced baldness, nor affects the hairline (they affect the vertex only). They must also be used indefinitely to stop hair loss.
- Hair transplantation – The only permanent solution to hair loss, this is a surgical solution. The two most popular methods today are strip surgery and follicular unit extraction.
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