What Causes Male Pattern Hair Loss?

May 29, 2009 by  
Filed under Hair Loss

Hair loss is a common health and cosmetic problem and there are many factors that cause hair loss. Male pattern hair loss makes its first appearance at the boundary line between head and forehead. Hair starts receding from that point, thereby broadening the forehead. Hair continues to grow back, as hair loss increases, finally making the head and forehead a single continuous ocean. It is an irreversible condition for many. Still, in some cases it responds to hair loss treatment if done early enough, by the time the early stages of hair loss starts making its appearance.

Inherited traits are considered to be the biggest deciding factor in male pattern hair loss. DHT or Dihydrotestosterone is a sex hormone that plays an important role in hair growth and it is this hormone that is considered to trigger off male pattern hair loss in men. While hair loss and resultant baldness is always more conspicuous in men, as far an individual considered, the genes from both parents can be responsible in equal measure for his male pattern hair loss.

Hormonal fluctuations can be directly responsible for hair loss in men. Or they may have a catalytic role to play in hair loss. The losing of hair as a part of aging is almost completely the result of the changing activity pattern of the hormone testosterone. The result of testosterone interaction with the enzymes in the scalp area affects the health of the hair follicles negatively. The enzymes and hormone neutralize each other, thereby making the hair unhealthy. This leads to thinning of hair and loss of hair, leading to partial or full baldness.

Though every male pattern hair loss is not reversible, many are. Further, every hair loss is not due to genetic reasons. Quite often an infection, or a nutrition deficiency, can lead to hair loss. A hair loss due to deficiency or infection can be differentiated from the slowly advancing male pattern hair loss. In the former, hair loss could be fast and sudden, and hair would be lost in clumps. Such a hair loss condition can be reversed by timely hair loss treatment.

Modern medicine has come out with certain hair loss solutions for those suffering from male pattern hair loss or hair loss due to any other problems. Alternative systems of medicines also offer some hair loss remedies. Knowing the root cause of hair loss is necessary in every case to decide the type of hair loss treatment to opt for, and also to understand something about hair loss prevention. With the type of hair care and hair loss remedies that are available, thick and glossy hair is not an impossible dream for men suffering from hair loss.