Theories of Baldness

There's more than one school of thought on the cause of baldness.

Baldness is one of the common complications among humans that seem to have an elusive cure. Both males and females are prone to baldness, but baldness is more noticeable in men. There are several theories and ideas on how a person becomes bald; some are based on science while others have persisted as myths over time.

The Genetic Theory

One of the most common theories why people go bald is because of their genes. The culprit that scientists relate to this theory is the androgen known as dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. This androgen occurs naturally in the human body through the testes, adrenal glands, prostate gland and hair follicles. DHTalso is directly related to testosterone. As people grow older, their testosterone changes into DHT because of another enzyme; the 5-alpha reductase. DHT complications occur mainly on males, and there still is no known cure on how to specifically counter it. Males experience DHT complications as they grow older, and is most apparent on males aged 50 and up. This DHT problem also is known as male pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia. This theory is recognized by the American Hair Loss Council as one of the main reasons for people going bald.

Stress and Emotional Strain

Although some may think that this is not a logical theory for baldness, the effects of stress and emotional strain on our body may really have an effect on hair growth. Stressed out and emotionally strained people usually have tensed muscles and constricted blood vessels. The scalp is directly affected by these complications and it can be a cause for continuous and permanent hair loss. When a person is stressed or emotionally strained, the small capillaries directly connected to the scalp narrows to a point that it chokes and prevents blood from circulating to the hair follicles, permanently damaging it and "killing" hair. In August 2010, the New York Times published an interview with Dr. Maria Hordinsky, of the University Minnesota, talking about this theory. Dr. Hordinsky said that although there are some patients that developed significant hair loss when confronted with deep emotional stress, major scientific studies to back this up still need to be done.

Galea Theory

This theory is attributed to Dr. Lars Engstrand of Sweden, and is directly related to the theory regarding hair loss due to emotional stress. According to Dr. Engstrand, baldness occurs because of the overgrowth of the galea, which is a tendinous membrane located at the scalp covering around 40 square inches of the head. When the galea thickens, the scalp experiences an increasing amount of tension and pressure. Because of this pressure and tension buildup caused by the galea, the small capillaries directly connected to the hair follicles become choked and strained. When these capillaries are no longer working properly, hair loss occurs because they no longer receive the proper nutrients and blood circulation they used to have. This theory was mentioned by Paavo Ariola in his 1965 book, "Stop Hair Loss."

Continuous Skull Growth

Another theory related to male pattern baldness is that people who suffer baldness have a skull that continuously grows throughout their lifetime. This theory is in a way related to DHT, but it doesn't directly affirm that DHT is the main cause of baldness. Instead, this theory claims that some people experience continuous skull growth and this growth causes baldness especially at the frontal and side areas of the scalp. DHT is related to this theory because it also is known to strengthen bones, therefore promoting skull growth as well. This theory was discussed by Paul Taylor, a contributor in the Medical Hypotheses magazine.

References

• The Belgravia Centre: Why Am I Bald?
• Hair Loss: Theories and Myths About Hairloss
• Reverse Hairloss Now: Skull Expansion Causes Hair Loss: The Hair Loss Industry Has Got it Wrong!