What Is Male Pattern Baldness?

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Main Category: Men's health
Also Included In: Dermatology
Article Date: 17 Apr 2007 - 11:00 PDT

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Millions of men go bald at some point or the other of their lives. A normal adult loses about 10,000 scalp hairs per day, where each hair strand lives for about five years. However in the case of male pattern baldness, this hair does not get replaced, and this is when there is a gradual appearance of bald areas. As this is a long process, it is not able to predict when a man finally becomes bald with male pattern baldness.

Though there are numerous reasons for a man to go bald, men in the age group of 20 to 45 who lose hair are usually undergoing male pattern baldness. As the name depicts, male pattern baldness is a form of baldness which follows a typical pattern. Though hair loss may start in various areas, it usually starts at the temple or the crown of the head. First there will be initial thinning of the hair, which progresses down the years to lead to total baldness with predominant hair loss at the top of the head.

There is no real cause for male pattern baldness; it's just that men are genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness. The effects of hormones on the hair follicles tend to induce male pattern baldness. The hormone testosterone, which increases with puberty, converts to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) with the help of the enzyme, 5-alpha reductase. DHT acts as a hormone receptor on the hair follicle, and reduces hair production to produce weaker and shorter hair. In some cases, hair growth is stopped completely wherein the stock of hair gets depleted to lead to normal hair loss.

Though it is normal for men to go bald, it is important to visit the doctor if there is sudden hair loss and if hair loss is in clumps. Even if you find out that there are significant amounts of hair on pillows or covering your dress or while washing your hair, it is better to make a visit to the doctor. This is because this hair loss may not be male pattern baldness but an allergy to some medication you are taking or some chemical you are using as a shampoo or soap. However there is nothing to worry about as there are many causes for hair loss, where most of the causes can be treated effectively to bring about a normal growth of hair.

Hairlossadvance.com offers information and support for people suffering from hair loss.

www.hairlossadvance.com

Chrisitan Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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