Hair Loss in Men

Baldness involves the state of lacking hair where it often grows, especially on the head. The most common form of baldness is a progressive hair thinning condition called androgenic alopecia or “male pattern baldness” that occurs in adult male humans and other species.

The amount and patterns of baldness can vary greatly; it ranges from male and female pattern alopecia (androgenic alopecia, also called androgenetic alopecia or alopecia androgenetica), alopecia areata, which involves the loss of some of the hair from the head, and alopecia totalis, which involves the loss of all head hair, to the most extreme form, alopecia universalis, which involves the loss of all hair from the head and the body.

Large studies in 2005 and 2007 stress the importance of the maternal line in the inheritance of male pattern baldness. German researchers name the androgen receptor gene as the cardinal prerequisite for balding.
In May 2009, researchers in Japan identified a gene, Sox21, that appears to be responsible for hair loss in people.

Treatments for the various forms of alopecia have limited success. Some hair loss sufferers make use of clinically proven treatments such as finasteride and topically applied minoxidil (in solution) in an attempt to prevent further loss and regrow hair. As a general rule, it is easier to maintain remaining hair than it is to regrow; however, the treatments mentioned may prevent hair loss from Androgenetic alopecia, and there are new technologies in cosmetic transplant surgery and hair replacement systems that can be completely undetectable.

According to the American Hair Loss Association, two-thirds of men experience some degree of hair loss by 35. By 50, nearly 85 percent of men will have visibly thinner hair. In about 95 percent of cases, male hair loss is caused by a condition, called androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness.

Men with male pattern baldness have a susceptibility to dihydrotestosterone (DHT, formed when testosterone combines with an enzyme in the oil glands of the hair follicles). Hair follicles that are sensitive to DHT miniaturize, shortening the lifespan of the affected follicles. The affected hairs are shorter and finer. Eventually, no hair grows inside the follicle.

In most men with male pattern baldness, the hair follicles above the temples and over the crown of the head are most sensitive to the effects of DHT. This causes hair loss to initially be most pronounced in these areas. Eventually, the hair thinning and loss spreads across the top of the scalp, leaving a band of hair across the back of the head. Some men with pattern baldness lose even this section of hair.

Male pattern baldness is a genetic condition carried on the X chromosome (from the female side of the family). Men who wonder if they will lose their hair need to look at their mother’s side of the family rather than their father’s side. If any of the men on that side of the family lost their hair, there is a greater likelihood of having inherited the gene for male pattern baldness.

Not everyone who has a family history of hair loss will become bald. By the time hair loss becomes evident, a man may have lost 50 percent of his scalp hair. Now there’s a way for men to find out if they are at risk for hereditary hair loss. It’s a screening test, called HairDX™.

A cheek swab is used to obtain a few cells from inside a client’s mouth and the sample is sent to a lab. The cells are examined for the presence of a variation in the androgen receptor gene on the X chromosome, which appears to be associated with an increased sensitivity to DHT. Shelly Friedman, D.O., Dermatologist at Scottsdale Institute for Cosmetic Dermatology in Scottsdale, Arizona, says if the test comes back positive, the client has a 70 percent chance of developing male pattern baldness. If the test is negative, there is a 70 percent chance the client will NOT develop male pattern baldness.

Friedman says the HairDX Test enables a man to determine his future risk for baldness and take steps to reduce hair loss and maintain as much hair as possible. Two treatments for male pattern baldness are Propecia® (finasteride) and ROGAINE® (minoxidil).

For information about HairDX™, or to find a location offering the test, go to http://www.hairdx.com

• Research on the LIPH gene
• Research on the WNT gene

Source: http://www.wtvq.com

Picture: © detailblick – Fotolia.com

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