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Heriditary Factors of Baldness in Men

Baldness and hair loss are things many men have to deal with. Genetics play a factor in how much hair a man is likely to lose. By looking at his relatives, a man should start to get an idea of what he might face in the future in terms of receding or thinning hair.

  1. The Mother Myth

    • One popularly held opinion for a long period of time was that baldness was something inherited from the mother's side of a family. Therefore, men were advised to look to the males on the maternal side of their bloodline for an indication of the likelihood of balding. That claim is not 100 percent accurate, however. Simple observation shows that there is a clear genetic link from both sides of the family to men's hair loss.

    Genetic Importance

    • Genetics play the largest role of all factors when it comes to a man going bald. Environmental factors only account for approximately 19 percent of baldness. Studies currently estimate the likelihood of baldness to be based on genetic inheritance at around 81 percent. Factors from both sides of the family contribute to the total genetic risk of baldness.

    The Mother Link

    • The factors that affect male pattern baldness are tied to the mother's side of the family through the X-chromosome. Men only have one X-chromosome which is inherited from their mothers. If the mother's side of his family carries a variation in a gene known as the Androgen Receptor, a man faces an increased risk of baldness.

    Chromosome 20

    • The discovery of the role that chromosome 20 plays in male pattern baldness finally let scientists verify that more genetic factors than the mother's family line are at work in baldness. King's College London and Bonn University studies both verified that certain genes connected to that chromosome play a part in baldness. The studies also showed that men who have both the chromosome 20 and AR risk factors are extremely likely to go bald.

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