| There are many causes of baldness, including | | | | exposed to the hormone for a prolonged period |
| serious illness, reaction to certain medication and | | | | of time for the affected follicle to complete the |
| stress, but by far the most common is Male | | | | miniaturization process. Today, with proper |
| Pattern Baldness (MPB) or Andogenic Alopecia. | | | | intervention, this process can be slowed or even |
| MPB is caused by a combination of two factors - | | | | stopped if caught early enough. |
| a genetic predisposition and Dihydrotestosterone | | | | What MPB sufferers inherit are hair follicles from |
| (DHT). | | | | their mothers or fathers with a genetic sensitivity |
| DHT is a byproduct of testosterone, and is | | | | to DHT. Hair follicles sensitive to DHT begin to |
| therefore present in every male. Scientists have | | | | miniaturize, shortening the lifespan of each hair |
| shown that DHT shrinks hair follicles, and that if | | | | follicle affected. Eventually, these follicles stop |
| DHT is suppressed, the follicles will continue to | | | | producing cosmetically acceptable hair. |
| thrive. | | | | MPB is characterized by a receding hairline and |
| In 1949 a landmark study was performed that | | | | thinning in the temple, crown or vertex area. |
| explained the causes of MPB. A group of | | | | These areas are the most sensitive to DHT. For |
| castrated convicts, males who were therefore | | | | some men, DHT even thins the hair on the back |
| not producing testosterone, were divided into two | | | | of the head, although this area is usually spared, |
| groups. The first group were those who had a | | | | leaving a permanent donor area that can be used |
| family history of MPB, and the second group | | | | for modern hair transplants. |
| were those with no family history of balding. Both | | | | There are still many factors about the inheritance |
| groups were injected with testosterone; the | | | | of baldness that we don't understand. I often see |
| group with a family history of MPB began losing | | | | a male with a strong family history of MPB that |
| their hair within weeks, while the group with no | | | | says he has an older brother with little or no |
| family history lost no hair, but did begin to develop | | | | balding. As well, some young adult males bald |
| a mature hairline. When the injections were | | | | rapidly up until the age of 35, whereupon the |
| stopped, the progression of thinning stopped. | | | | balding pattern stops. In contrast, males can also |
| Looking past the inhumane and surprising | | | | experience little or no thinning up until their early |
| extremes of this experiment, it was discovered | | | | 40s, and then lose all or most of their hair in the |
| that MPB was an inherited trait that is triggered | | | | next 20 years, balding almost completely by age |
| with the presence of testosterone. Since that | | | | 60. Unfortunately, we cannot predict the exact |
| experiment, we have learned that it is not | | | | course each individual's balding will take when he is |
| testosterone but the testosterone byproduct | | | | in the early balding stages. But generally speaking, |
| DHT that causes hair loss. | | | | the earlier you start losing hair, the more hair you |
| Hair follicles that are sensitive to DHT must be | | | | are going to lose. |