Genetic Pattern Hair Loss

How Does Genetic or Heriditary Hair Loss Work?

The most common explanation for how genetic hair loss works suggest that it works through a complicated chemical process operating in your body. Most researchers relate it to chemical changes in the way that the male hormone testosterone works as a result of aging. Both men and women have this male hormone but the level of this hormone is different for the sexes and changes with aging. Also other chemicals in the body that react with the male hormone also change. Because most researchers think that genetic hair loss is directly caused by a chemical reaction, most research has tried to find chemicals, or what is commonly call medical drugs, to reverse the chemical causes of genetic hair loss. Recent discoveries have found that an enzyme called “5-alpha reductase” is excessively produced by hair follicles in cases of genetic hair loss. This enzyme combines with testosterone, one of the male hormones naturally produced by the body, to form a new combination called dihydrotestosterone or DHT, which is known to cause hair follicles to fall out. This chain of chemical reactions is known to produce loss of hair in many cases of genetic hair loss. There may be other chemicals and chemical chains involved in varying cases and researchers are continuing to investigate these.

Researchers in the last few years have been working on many different drugs, but so far only two have proven to have benefit in fighting genetic hair loss. The first drug is called minoxidil, which is sold by the Upjohn Company under the name Rogaine “Topical Solution”. This is the only one of the two known effective drugs that has so far been fully approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treatment of genetic hair loss. The second drug that has proven effectiveness in fighting genetic hair loss is an oral medication known as finasteride, which is marketed by Merck & Co. under the name Propecia. This drug has proven to be safe and effective only in the case of men. The effectiveness, the advantages, and the drawbacks of both of these drugs will be outlined later on in this book. Other drugs now being tested that show promise will also be discussed later in this book.

Can it be cured?

Like so many ailments that afflict us, medical professionals are not certain as to what directly causes hereditary hair loss. It is something programmed in your genes but what causes the genes to act and what they cause your body to do is not entirely known. As a result, there is no sure, full-proof cure known for hereditary hair loss. Researchers have different theories about the way hereditary baldness works, and are working on solutions based on these.

What Does It Look Like?

Genetic pattern hair loss is often called male pattern hair loss or female pattern hair loss because for both sexes the hair loss experienced tends to follow typical patterns. There area a variety of patterns for hair loss, Norwood’s being the most traditional pattern. However, Norwood’s is somewhat limited in addressing the other patterns of hair loss. In chapter two of this book you will see the new genetic patterns that illustrate other types of hair loss. These patterns will give you a better understanding of the variety of ways in which hair falls out. Males experience more intense forms of hair loss than females do, and the pattern of their hair loss is different. Males with hereditary hair loss often end up becoming at least partially bald. Their hair loss tends to follow the following pattern. It usually starts with a thinning of hair from the hairline at the temple and/or the crown of their heads. Over time the thinning becomes more extreme leading to baldness receding from the hairline and expanding from the crown in a circular fashion. With further aging the two separate locations of baldness tend to meet leaving the whole head bald except for a strip of hair along the back of the head above the nape of the neck. Females with hereditary hair loss tend to experience increasing thinning of their hair around the crown of their heads only. It is rare for women to experience total balding, although this may happen in some cases. Female hair loss is usually more diffuse and central than for men, and is often termed a “widened part”. Less commonly, women may have a receding hairline similar to that seen in balding men.

How Common Is Genetic Patter Hair Loss?

Genetic Pattern hair loss affects almost 50 percent of males and 40 percent of females as they age. This means that if people lived long enough almost half the population would show significant hair thinning or balding. Some races are more affected than others are. European races show more hereditary tendency to hair loss than other races, but other races are affected as well.