What Causes Men to Go Bald?
Baldness is a common problem for many men, whether a small bald spot or a rapidly receding hairline. Male baldness can be treated and tolerated more easily when its causes are understood. Not all baldness is a result of genetics, though this factor remains a significant catalyst for the condition.
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Genes
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The most common factor associated with male baldness is genetic predisposition. Multiple genes are involved in the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which stops hair follicle regeneration and shrinks follicles in size. The genes involved in this process can be inherited from either parent---determining the probability of inheriting male baldness is more complicated than studying paternal family history alone.
Illness and Surgery
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Illness and surgery can cause hair loss, because more energy is expended for the body's recovery than for hair regeneration. Lupus and diabetes are illnesses that are directly associated with male hair loss.
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Medicine
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Blood thinners or medications used for chemotherapy cause hair to fall out. In such cases, however, hair loss is usually reversible.
Hormones
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Hormones control and are related to most of the processes of the body, including hair regeneration and growth. Overactive or underactive thyroid condition sufferers may experience hair loss, because the thyroid causes hair to remain dormant longer than usual before regeneration. Eventually, this causes growth to slow down or stop, resulting in hair falling out without regenerating.
Age
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The rate of hair regeneration slows naturally as hormones shift in the body during the aging process. The slower the regeneration, the more likely it is that hair will fall out.
Treatment and Prevention
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Science has uncovered many of the factors that lead to baldness, and methods that slow down or prevent baldness are available. Men with a genetic predisposition to baldness can get follicle implants, while those with medicine or hormone-related baldness may change their medications or receive hormone therapy.
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