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Baldness is frequently considered a male issue, but the fact is that it does not differentiate between the sexes, and both males and females are prone to it. However, male-pattern baldness is likely to be more prevalent and prominent than female-pattern baldness. There are quite a few factors responsible for baldness and genetics is one of the prime reasons for it. Apart from genes, stress, poor diet, and medication could be the possible reasons for baldness. While Hair loss caused by genetic factors cannot be reversed, you could help slow down the process with the help of certain steps.
Baldness Does Not Depend On The Age Of The Individual.
It can affect a person during their teens and the person could go on to become completely bald by the time he/she is 20 or 30.
Conventional wisdom has always said that baldness is always a result of the mother’s genes but that is erroneous thinking. Let’s find out more about the factors that influence baldness gene inheritance.
Out of the 23 pairs of chromosomes that contain genetic information, the X and Y chromosomes help determine the sex of the offspring. Men get their X chromosome from the mother while the father gives them the Y chromosome. In females, both parents give X chromosomes. Research findings indicate that both the mother and father are equally responsible for baldness.
Common Hair loss is referred to as androgenetic alopecia and almost 50% of all adults above the age of 40 suffer from it. Hair loss, which is a result of genetics, happens in a particular way and it is referred to as male-pattern baldness or female-pattern baldness. Male pattern baldness usually takes the shape of an M in the frontal position of your scalp. Men experience a thinning of hair around the temples. Women on the other hand experience baldness along the parting of their hair.
Women usually see a steep rise in hair loss only by the time they are 80. However, women also start losing hair after they reach menopause. There is no solitary male pattern baldness gene, it is polygenic, i.e., it is the result of many genes and not only one male baldness gene.
The levels of androgen hormones are believed to influence balding. Androgens are essentially sex hormones and are responsible for the male characteristics of an individual. However, women do have a limited quantity of androgens too. Higher levels of androgens lead to thinning and shortening of the hair, which gives a certain balding appearance to a person.
The most common sign of hair loss is thinning of hair around the temples and a receding hairline. However, the hair on the sides does not fall off. This is crucial as this hair can later be used for hair transplants.
Research also indicates that the changing androgen levels could lead to reduced growth of hair in females too. With respect to women, genetics plays a big role in contributing to baldness. A major percentage of women with balding issues have had a close family member with similar problems. While women rarely experience total baldness, they could experience thinning on the top and the sides; women do not usually have to deal with a receding hairline. Women experience a lot of hair issues after childbirth or pregnancy due to hormonal changes.
When it comes to men, male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia could also be a result of the genes that you inherit from your maternal grandfather. It can also be caused by defective hair-making progenitor cells present in the scalp.
Males who experience hair thinning have an excess quantity of cells that are unable to complete their development and mature to a properly-functioning state. They, therefore, face the problem of receding hairline that extends to the crown of the head. There is also the possibility of a person passing on such traits of baldness to the next generation without becoming bald.
Can You Prevent Baldness?
It is not possible to prevent balding completely but there are some steps you could take to slow down the process. A good healthy diet is one of the key ways to prevent balding. A meal plan with all the ingredients that help in stronger strands could help immensely in reducing hair fall.
Managing work stress is also very important. Under stressful conditions, the stems of the hair follicle go into an extended period of rest and do not allow the regeneration of fresh cells.
A good exercise regime that allows the individual to remain fit and maintain a healthy weight can help prevent hair fall. Care should however be taken to ensure that there is no drastic gain or reduction of weight, as this could also lead to hair loss. This of course needs to be accompanied by the right amount of sleep and relaxation that helps in the production of melatonin which is important for hair growth. The production of melatonin happens during the night and lack of proper sleep would reduce its levels in the body and would hamper hair growth.
Apart from that, one could also try out different sorts of medication to prevent the production of DHT which is responsible for shrinking hair follicles. You can also conduct the TrichoTest which is a genetic test that analyzes several genes and genetic variations connected to alopecia to find out more about the reasons behind hair loss. This will allow you to start your treatment at the first sign of a receding hairline. Since hair loss is a gradual process, it could also happen over a period of decades.
Keep a watch out for patches of bald spots on the top of your head also called the crown. Also, keep a close look at the way your hair is growing. If you feel that your hair is growing at a slower rate than usual then a visit to a medical practitioner is recommended. Hair thickness and density of hair also reduce significantly as the DHT damages the hair follicles in many other ways.
There is no fixed pattern of hair before you become completely bald. It could occur in clumps or it could happen as part of a slow gradual process. The solution is to take quick action with the help of an expert who would be able to suggest procedures to arrest hair loss.
Takeaway
So, while there is no single gene responsible for baldness, it is also an accepted fact that if “hair is not meant to be lost, it will grow back”. However, if we do not take appropriate precautions at the right time the balding process could be accelerated. If your balding is obvious it is better to seek solutions at the earliest. Look for those extra strands of hair while you shampoo, or notice those receding hairlines so that you can begin to reverse the process quickly. For professional solutions do visit us at Traya and find out more from our experts about how you can handle your balding issues effectively.
FAQ
Q1 - Is Male Pattern Baldness Inherited From The Mother?
This is largely a myth and is not based on research findings. Genes that lead to hair loss can be inherited from both sides of the family. It could also skip generations and you could be the lucky one to benefit from it.
Q2 - Can Baldness Be Inherited From The Father?
It is largely the case that a person who is balding also has a father who also had similar balding issues. This is true in almost 80% of cases. Another more revealing fact is that two out of 3 men will begin to start balding by the time they are 60.
Q3 - What Determines If A Man Will Be Bald?
A person inherits genetic traits from both the mother and father. So, if both of them have experienced hair fall issues, in all likelihood you will also suffer from similar problems. For males, a look at the heads of the father and maternal grandfather will be revealed. If both have shiny bald pates, there is a high probability that you will also have one too.
Q4 - Is Male Pattern Baldness Dominant Or Recessive?
It is generally accepted that male androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness is neither recessive nor dominant but is controlled by a group of genes.
