Causes of Baldness in Men

Both men and women suffer from hair loss and both can lose enough hair to become bald. Men are more prone to certain factors that lead to baldness than women, however, and male pattern baldness has a distinct appearance particular to them alone.

Myths

Contrary to what your father may have told you, wearing hats, excessive combing/brushing, trauma, or your girlfriend running her fingers through your hair does not cause baldness. The sun may damage your hair but it won't make you go bald.

Genetics

The main cause of male baldness is the conversion of testosterone to the hormone DHT. This is a natural process, but some men have a genetic inability to process DHT, which allows the compound instead to stick to hair follicles. This kills the hair shaft at the follicle and prevents growth from that shaft ever again. Over time, more and more hair follicles are destroyed, making larger and larger areas of baldness.

Patterns

The first place male baldness occurs is on the crown. The hair thins steadily over time until there is a noticeable bald spot at the top center of the scalp. The next area is at the temples. The hairline recedes, creating an ever-deepening section until there is a noticeable peak at the middle of the forehead where the original hairline remains. That point of hair at the center of the forehead is often called a "widow's peak." From there, the hairline recedes completely until the entire dome of the scalp is bald, leaving a ring of hair from ear to ear around the bottom of the skull.

Illness

Hair loss that does not occur in the typical male baldness pattern should be suspect. Your physician can run tests to be sure there are no medical reasons for loss of hair such as poor eating habits, infections, stress, heart conditions or scarring. There may also be temporary reasons for hair loss such as allergies or prescription drug reactions. Hair loss can also be brought on by medical treatments such as chemotherapy.

Diagnosis

In cases of atypical baldness, there are tests your doctor will run to determine cause. The pull test is simply a test in which your doctor will pull several strands of hair from your scalp to run lab tests on. A punch test can be used to examine deeper layers of the scalp. Your doctor will remove a small section of skin layers for testing. Skin scrapings are another method of testing the scalp area for infections or other medical conditions.

Treatment

Rogaine and Propecia are popular treatments for baldness. They are applied topically, must be used regularly and can be very messy. These treatments must be continued for life. That is one reason many men turn to surgical options for hair loss treatment. Hair replacement surgeries are permanent solutions for baldness.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Hair Loss
• Male Baldness
• Male Pattern Baldness