What Family Member Causes Baldness?

Although more prevalent in males, baldness and hair thinning does not discriminate between the sexes. With environmental factors sometimes a root cause, including medications, lack of vitamins, certain shampoos, or unhealthy diets or diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and lupus, it is important to find the root cause of hair loss before pointing fingers at the family's genetic makeup. However, if male pattern baldness runs in the family on either side, knowing which genes affect personal hair loss and if the linage can be passed on for generations to come can be a major concern.

Male Pattern Baldness

• According to DermNet NZ, the website for the New Zealand Dermatological Society Inc., male pattern balding, also known as male pattern hair loss, is an inherited condition, which is caused by a sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is an androgen, or male hormone, created in the body from testosterone. The sensitivity shortens the growth phase of the hair cycle, which miniaturizes the follicles, thus producing finer, thinning hair. In addition, a vicious cycle has begun, resulting in male pattern baldness.
  Sensitivity to DHT occurs in men who are genetically predisposed to the condition, however research is proving that the sensitivity can come from either the mother's or father's side of the family, DermNet NZ says.

Blaming Mom

• Although new research has suggested male pattern baldness can come from either side of the family, as a sex-chromosome-related disease, it is more likely to be traced to the mother's side of the family. The U.S. National Library of Medicine in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health says that "male pattern baldness is a sex-linked characteristic that is passed from mother to child. A man can more accurately predict his chances of developing male pattern baldness by observing his mother's father than by looking at his own father."

The X-Factor

• Because it has been noticed that females also suffer from hair thinning, baldness and sensitivity to DHT, males express the symptoms (male pattern baldness) more frequently for the simple reason that they have only one X chromosome. When a male child is conceived, he receives an X chromosome from his mother and a Y chromosome from his father. Since there is no second X chromosome as in the female XX pair, Merck, a leading pharmaceutical company, says the extra genes on the X chromosome are virtually all expressed. Thus, another reason has been found to blame the mother's side of the family for passing the X chromosome onto the son.

Sox21 Gene

• A team of researchers, including Dr. Makoto Kiso, from the National Institute of Genetics in Japan accidentally stumbled across a side effect of gene Sox21, which was previous thought to be linked to the formation of nerve cells, Natural Hair Restoration reported. The group of scientists were curious what particular part this gene played in the development of mice. In science, the best way to find out what something does, whether it is a gene, a nutrient, a sensory object or something else, is to take it away. In removing Sox21 from the selected mice, Dr. Kiso and his team found that the mice expreimentees lost head hair and eventually became completely bald without the gene, leaving no one parent to blame. Under an electron microscope, it was found that there was nothing to lock the hair to the follicle.

To Blame or Not to Blame

• Decode Me, a company that offers to discover genetic risks for more than 50 medical conditions, claims that although there are many more identified and unidentified risk factors for baldness left to be determined and mentioned, there are some other things to consider before pointing fingers at mom and dad. When the hairline starts to recede, consider gender. An estimated 35 million men in the United States alone are affected by male pattern baldness. Age is also another factor. More than 50 percent of men older than 50 have some degree of hair loss. Male pattern baldness may be able to be slowed, but there is no cure for aging. There are many treatments available for hair thinning, baldness and those who wish to re-grow their hair. After blaming the family tree, take matters into your hands and get your hair back in shape.