Baldness

Male Baldness and the Causes of Baldness

On the scalp, every person has about 1 million hair follicles from which hair can grow from. It is normal to have a 100-150 hairs falling out on any given day, but when more than this occurs, this leaves an area of thin hair or even baldness. Alopecia (al-o-PEA-she-ah) is the medical term used to describe this condition.

Male hair loss, or male pattern baldness, is the most frequent type of hair loss. The pattern of hair loss is unpredictable, as hair loss occurs in a cyclical pattern - hair loss increases each fall and decreases each spring. However, male hair loss is a common issue for men in their late fifties (but not limited to this age range). There is current no complete cure for male pattern hair loss, but there are treatments available to slow down the progression.

There are three big factors which influence male hair loss: age, genetic predisposition toward hair loss, and presence of the dihydrotestosterone hormone. Some men develop dihydrotestosterone-sensitive hair follicles. Once high levels of dihydrotestosterone are detected in the scalp, the hair follicles begin to shrink - leading to male hair loss. Despite the levels of hormone remaining in a normal range, hair loss continues to occur due to the heightened sensitivity toward any minute changes in dihydrotestosterone levels.

Another popularly documented cause of male hair loss is the genes passed down from either parent. It is more likely that a person will experience male hair loss, if his parents have experienced some hair loss or baldness too. Genetically linked male hair loss is also known as androgenic alopecia, and men who have this condition tend to lose hair from the crown or front of the head. This can occur between the ages of 20 to 40 years.