Male pattern baldness is a very common type of hair loss and develops in most men at some stage of life. The men with male pattern baldness usually have between fifteen to twenty-five years before going bald and yet are rare cases where only take five years before going bald.
Male pattern baldness generally begins with a recession hair at the front beginning at the top of the head and temples moving toward the back of the scalp. This occurs along with the thinning hair at the top of his head. A bald patch eventually develop in the middle of the scalp. Faltering scalp and the bald patch in the middle grows gradually until they meet. A rim of varying sizes may be left along the side and rear areas of the scalp, however, the rim too thin and can leave some men with male pattern baldness completely hairless.
About 95% of all cases of male pattern baldness are attributed to androgenetic alopecia. They produce more often in men than in women, androgenetic alopecia affects approximately 40 million men in the United States. About 25% of this number begins to lose his hair at 30. Male hormone known as testosterone are also a factor in male pattern baldness. Testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone that, for some reason unclear, affects the hair follicles causing them to fall. Genetics are also involved in the onset of male pattern baldness.
The hair loss due to male pattern baldness is permanent and there is no way of prevention from that moment.
Female Pattern Baldness
Women also have a form of hair loss known as female pattern baldness. In general, women have hair loss occurring in various patterns and may not be as recognizable as the pattern of hair loss in men. The scalp hair of the women usually starts ageing when a person reaches a minimum age of 50. Female pattern baldness does not have an obvious genetic relationship.
Female pattern baldness can also start when a person is in his teens or early twenties. This can occur in women who are experiencing puberty earlier than their peers. This type of hair loss can progress to more severe stages if left untreated.
In most cases, hair loss in women can be treated effectively. For women who are concerned about their hair loss, consult a specialist may be necessary to obtain a correct diagnosis of the causes and type of hair loss.
Auto diagnosis for women pattern baldness is not very effective because women have less noticeable patterns of baldness. One of the most likely cause of female baldness is androgenetic alopecia, although women who experience thinning hair due to this condition do not experience as a baldness with men.
Women androgenetic alopecia can come in different types of patterns:
- Sutil thinning hair throughout the scalp, thinning with more evident near the back
- Subleases thinning hair throughout the scalp with an apparent thinning closer to the front
- Sutil thinning hair throughout the scalp with a clear thinning near the front, sometimes reaching the scalp
