Male Pattern Baldness : Types & Causes

Male Pattern Baldness 

Male pattern baldness is meant by Androgenetic alopecia. It affects all men but is limited to some degree. Perpetual and progressive thinning of the hair on the head eventually leads to baldness. The hair starts receding usually from the temples, moving up to the top of the head. In severe cases, loss of hair continues to the extent of the front, crown and the vertex of the head becoming totally bald. The hair remains in a horseshoe pattern around the back and sides of the head.

Major causes of male pattern hair baldness

1. Dihydrotestosterone: The leading reason for male pattern baldness is androgens. Androgens are a male sex hormone, which develops and maintain male sex characteristics. The major androgen is testosterone. Testosterone is needed for normal reproductive and sexual functions. It is important for the physical changes that happen during male adolescence. In the body, testosterone is converted into DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) by an enzyme. It is believed that the Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a strong androgen, has the ability to stick and tie the receptors of hair follicular units. When it hits the hair follicles, especially in the front and the crowned area, it miniaturizes the hair growth, which ultimately leads to hair fall.
2. Genetics: In a study, researchers discovered that there are two genetic variants located on a stretch of DNA on Chromosome 20. It rests on the female X chromosome, which means that it comes from mother to son. The second gene gave a clue to the researchers on how baldness is passed from father to son. The tests revealed that one or more genes on chromosome 20 are considerably responsible for male pattern baldness.

Other causes of Hair Loss 

1. Health Conditions related to hair loss

• Iron Deficiency: It has been found in many cases that severe hair loss is caused due to iron deficiency. When an individual does not have enough iron, his body cannot produce haemoglobin in the blood. Haemoglobin is a carrier of oxygen for growth and maintenance of the cells that stimulate hair growth. Therefore, grafts are destroyed due to lack of oxygen. Loss of hair grafts, which is caused due to iron deficiency, creates baldness.
• Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism is a hormonal condition in which the thyroid hormone is not properly regulated and hair loss starts rapidly. This may be a cause of autoimmune diseases. In some cases, hair thins considerably, but in others, large chunks of hair may fall out. Since this condition slows down the development of metabolism, the speed of hair growth reduces and eventually, hair falls.
• However, when hypothyroidism is controlled with medication, then hair loss gradually stops.
• Diabetes: Diabetes does not produce insulin. Insulin is the hormone that takes away sugar from the foods, from the bloodstream into the cells, where it is stored as energy. Diabetes means no insulin, or less insulin in the body. The lack of insulin causes sugar deposit in the blood, which severely damages organs all over the body. It also damages blood vessels. These blood vessels take oxygen throughout the body to nourish organs and tissues. Damaged blood vessels fail to carry required oxygen to hair grafts, which directly affects its growth and existence.

2. Poor Diet: Poor diet means poor nutrition. Poor nutrition means the weakening of hair shafts, which causes hair to break, turn weak and finally fall. Important nutrients necessary for proper hair growth are – Vitamin A, B Vitamins, including B6 and B12, Vitamin C, Biotin, Copper, Zinc and Iron.
3. Medicines: There are some medicines which can cause hair loss.

• Chemotherapy Medications:These medications specifically target cell production, which happens when the hair Chemotherapy drugs drastically destroy cells. In this process, along with the cancer cells, healthy cells of the body, including the cells forming hair, are lost.
• Anticoagulants Blood Thinners: Medications used to treat various heart conditions, including blood thinners, can lead to hair loss.

4. Burns, injuries, and X-rays: These can also cause temporary hair loss. In such cases, normal hair growth usually returns once the injury heals unless there is a scar in the affected area.

Why men get balder, more than women? 

Higher level of Dihydrotestosterone in men is the root cause of male pattern baldness. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is made from testosterones by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. It is a hormone found in men, which gives biological features of males, including a deeper voice, body hair and muscle mass including sex organs. The higher level of DHT, when comes into the contact of hair grafts, makes it shrink, miniaturize and finally makes it shed.

As compared to men, women have relatively very small quantity of testosterone, which is released into the bloodstream by ovaries and adrenal glands. This low quantity of testosterone in women cannot affect hair roots as aggressively as men.

Another difference is that the actual pattern of baldness varies by gender. Women normally maintain their frontal hairline and lose the hair over the top of the scalp.

Men suffer from male pattern baldness due to testosterones (DHT) and genetics. They usually experience a receding hairline from the temporal area and loss of hair in the top and the vertex.

Whereas, women suffering from female pattern baldness, experience hair loss due to menopause, augmented risk of metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.