Hair loss affects about 35 million men and 21 million women in the United States alone. Forty percent of men have noticeable hair loss by age 35 and sixty-five percent by age 60. First you need to understand why hair loss occurs. Your hair loss has little or nothing to do with shampooing, hats, or any other practices. Hair loss is largely genetic.
There are many causes of hair loss in men and women, including diseases, nutritional deficiency, hormone imbalance, and stress. By far the most common cause, however, is one’s genes. This cause gives rise to what is called androgenetic alopecia. Alopecia is simply the medical term for hair loss. Androgenetic refers to the fact that both genetic predispositions to balding and the influence of androgens, or male hormones, play a part in this type of hair loss. There is another factor, which is the passage of time, or aging.
So, in order for androgenetic alopecia to occur, there must be:
• genetic propensity for balding
• presence of androgens, or male hormones
• aging time to allow the first two factors to exert their influence on the hair follicles
Both men and women produce ‘male’ hormones. The most common of these are testosterone, androstenedione, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Androgens are produced by the testicles and adrenals in men, and by the ovaries and adrenal glands in women. These hormones are important in both sexes, but occur in different concentrations, being much more predominant in males than in females. This, in part, is responsible for the typical differences between the genders.
The exposure of hair follicles to DHT over a period of time can lead to androgenetic alopecia, male and female pattern baldness, in people who are genetically susceptible to balding.
The balding process can occur at any age and move at any rate. It can start in the teen years or late in life, develop rapidly, slowly, or even stabilize.