What Is Male Pattern Balding?
Androgenetic alopecia--also known as male pattern baldness--is a form of hair loss that is caused by men's genetics. It is the most common type of hair loss among men, according to MedlinePlus. Does this Spark an idea?
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Statistics
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About 95 percent of men who lose their hair suffer from common male pattern baldness, according to the American Hair Loss Association. Men often start losing some of their hair by the time they are in their 20s and have thinning hair by age 50, according to the organization.
Description
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Men who are suffering from male pattern baldness may develop a receding hairline, thinning hair on the crown of their head or bald patches on their scalp. They also may have redness or scaling on their scalp.
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Causes
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Male pattern baldness is caused by shrinking hair follicles, which become shorter when they are exposed to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). When men's hair follicles shrink, their hair grows for a shorter period of time than normal.
Testing
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Physicians diagnose male pattern baldness by taking a medical history and completing a physical examination, during which they look at the pace and location of a patient's hair loss.
Treatment
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Patients with androgenetic alopecia usually use minoxidil, an over-the-counter topical cream that can slow the rate of hair loss and help men regrow hair, as their first line of treatment. Sometimes doctors prescribe finasteride, an oral medication, to inhibit the enzyme that changes testosterone into DHT. During hair transplant surgery, doctors remove hair follicles from the back of a man's head and place them at the top of his head.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit handsome bald man image by sasha from Fotolia.com
