Information About Baldness

Hair loss in females is usually dispersed throughout the scalp, while that in males features anything from a receding hairline to complete baldness. It affects many millions of people worldwide of both sexes.

Androgenic Alopecia

• The most common form of baldness is androgenic alopecia, or male pattern baldness. It is called "pattern baldness" because of the way hair typically recedes in an "M" shape. It is much more common in men than women because the gene responsible for baldness is recessive in women but dominant in men. This means that women can be a carrier for the gene without exhibiting the trait.

Cause

• The cause of baldness is linked to testosterone stimulation of susceptible follicles of the scalp, causing them to get smaller. Interestingly, while increased testosterone may lead to a decreased follicle size on the scalp, it leads to increased follicle size on the beard and pubic region.

Management

• Pharmaceutical and botanical preparations aimed at lessening or curing baldness aim to reduce the active metabolite of testosterone, called dihydrotestosterone. An active metabolite is the form of a chemical or drug once it has been processed by the body; by decreasing dihydrotestosterone, these treatments can decrease the progression of baldness.