Find answers to your questions. Schedule an appointment today!
Male pattern hair loss is generally known to be related to hormones in both males and females and it is a condition that is also referred to as androgenic alopecia, or male pattern baldness. There is genetically predisposition to the condition which means if your father or grandfather suffered from male pattern hair loss, it is likely that you will as well.
The most common cause of male pattern hair loss is due to a androgenic miniaturization of the hair follicle. This will affect up to 70% of men at some point in their lifetime.
Your hairs live in small holes called follicle. These follicles remain the same for most of the time, and normal hair continues to grow from it. But, in male pattern hair loss cases, the follicle shrinks. When the follicle shrinks, the hair becomes shorter and finer or it doesn’t grow at all.
At some point, hair stops growing even though the hair follicle itself remain alive and open. This condition is called male pattern hair loss.
Anagen Phase
This is the active hair growth phase. The cells of the hair root rapidly grow and divide in this phase. When a new hair forms, it will push upward out of the follicle and if there is already a hair in the follicle, that hair will be pushed out, or shed. This shedding is normal.
In the anagen phase, the hair will grow about approximately 1 cm each month. The growth phase, or anagen phase, lasts an average of 2-6 years. People who have the inability to grow their hair beyond a certain length have short anagen phase. On the contrary, people who are able to grow their hair very long very quickly, have a long anagen phase.
Catagen Phase
During the catagen phase, which lasts approximately 10 days, growth of the hair stops. The outside root sheath of the follicle will shrink and attach itself to the root of the hair.
Telogen Phase
The telogen phase is the resting phase of the growth cycle which lasts for approximately 100 days. In this phase your hair is released and falls out. During the telogen phase the follicle is at rest, and the club hair is completely formed. There’s a whitish bulb at the root which is noticeable if you were to pull it out and look at the root.
The Causes of Male Pattern Hair Loss?
Hormonal Changes
Male pattern hair loss is mainly due to hormonal changes, in particular, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can become imbalanced. Too much increase in DHT can lead to a shortened anagen phase and this leads to reduced hair production. The hairs that do continue to grow will be much finer.
Heredity
If someone else in your family has experienced a hair loss, you will also be likely to develop male pattern hair loss too.
Hair Loss Signs and Symptoms
- A noticeable thinning of the hair.
- Thinning around your temples or towards the back of the head (crown).
- More shedding than usual (in the shower or on your pillow in the morning)
