What is Male Pattern Baldness?

Androgenic alopecia is defined as the progressive thinning of certain areas of the scalp. This condition is also known as male pattern baldness which occurs in men, but can also occur in women.

Male pattern baldness is characterized by the receding hair lines. The thinning of the hair then recedes in an “M” shape, until the hair at the crown of one’s head also begin to fall.

While androgenic alopecia is also a condition that females can suffer from, the condition is different for both sexes. In women, hair all over the head simply thins out, affecting the whole scalp rather than a slow loss of the hair. For men, however, male pattern baldness is gradual, but it can also lead to total baldness.

Male pattern baldness is considered to be a hereditary condition, which studies say is caused by a gene that can be inherited from one’s maternal side. Therefore, a man’s balding pattern is usually similar to the balding pattern of his maternal grandfather rather than his father or paternal grandfather. This condition is different from alopecia areata, a condition that is also hereditary but can be triggered by stress and iron deficiency.

There are a number of myths regarding men’s hair loss or male pattern baldness. Some say it is caused by excessive sex and other myths say that wearing tight hats or intense mental activity can cause hair loss.

While some of these myths are just that, some may have a hint of truth. For instance, wearing certain hats can cause hair breakage, which might ultimately lead of men’s hair loss. Also, inheriting male pattern baldness from one’s maternal grandfather was considered a myth, but recent studies prove that this might as well be true to some extent.

Many hair loss solutions are currently in the market, from androgen inhibitors to vitamins. There is no one definite cure to baldness, and it might take some time before one is actually developed. But in any case, male pattern baldness is no longer a lifetime sentence, especially with all the options out there.