Male Pattern Baldness

Whether we like it or not going bald is a fact of life for millions of men. The first realization is invariably that all the hair brushed or combed out everyday is not being replaced by new hair growth. Receding hair and spot baldness can, for many men, signal a major blow to the image of youth and self esteem. Adult humans loose about 10,000 scalp hairs each and every day. Hair normally lives for around five years. We know that with male pattern baldness these hairs do not always get replaced and gradually bald areas appear. This process can however take a long time and the age at which you start to loose hair does not necessarily provide any clues as to how long it will be until you define yourself as bald. In this article about baldness we look at why men go bald, what is normal hair loss and when we need to contact our family doctor.

What is normal hair loss?

There are a number of reasons why men start to go bald, but if you are a man between the ages of about 20 to 45 and you start to loose scalp hair, then the chances are 95 per cent certain that you are experiencing male pattern baldness. As the term suggests, male pattern baldness follows a typical sequence or pattern. zSB(3,3);if(!z336){var zIsb=gEI("adsb");if(zIsb){zIsb.style.display="inline";zIsb.style.height="0px";zIsb.style.width="0px";}var zIss=gEI("adss");if(zIss){zIss.style.display="inline";zIss.style.height="0px";zIss.style.width="0px";}}

Hair loss can start in different areas but is usually at the temples and/or on the crown of the head. Initial thinning of hair progresses over a number of years and may lead to total baldness but more typically loss of hair over the top surface of the head. The cause of male pattern baldness

Sadly many men are genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness. It is the effect of hormones on the hair follicle that produces male pattern baldness. Testosterone, a hormone that is present in high levels in males after puberty, is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. DHT has an adverse affect on the hair follicles. Acting on a hormone receptor on the hair follicle it slows down hair production and produces weak, shorter hair, sometimes it stops hair growth from the follicle completely.This process gradually depletes your stock of hair and is normal hair loss. Do go to your doctor if:

You loose hair suddenly, if your hair loss is in clumps or significant enough that you notice large amounts on your pillow, covering the back of your clothes or when you wash your hair. This type of hair loss does not represent typical male baldness, but it does require a diagnosis. Don't worry. Hair loss can occur for a number of reasons and can often be treated successfully.

Other Causes of Hair Loss

• high temperature associated with infections or flu. 
• some chronic and serious illnesses. 
• thyroid and pituitary.
• some medical treatments, i.e. radiotherapy, side effects of medications such as interferon and chemotherapy, steroids. stress. 
• psychological problems such as trichotillomania where some people pull out their hair.
• exposure to dangerous chemicals such as thallium acetate. 
• fungal infections of the scalp.
• ringworm.
• burns 
• Alpaca Areata Universalis (where the whole body is affected), or totalis (where the whole of the scalp becomes bald).