At my plastic surgery practice serving Fort Myers and Naples, I also specialize in hair restoration. I’m seeing more and more patients who are looking for a solution to male-pattern baldness. I’ve found, however, that there are still many misconceptions about male-pattern baldness and its causes. I’d like to share some information with you that I think may be valuable in understanding this subject.
Hair loss can be the result of a serious disease, a reaction to medication, or stress, but it’s most likely due to heredity. In the past, scientists believed that the genetic marker was inherited from the maternal side, but new research shows that the paternal side is equally responsible. Basically, individuals with a predisposition to baldness have hair follicles that are overly sensitive to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a byproduct of testosterone. DHT sensitivity shortens the lifespan of the hair follicles and shrinks the hair shaft. Male-pattern baldness usually results in a receding hairline and the classic ‘horseshoe’ ring of hair.
Women are also susceptible to hair loss. An average of 40% of women have thinning and some hair loss by the age of 50. However, unlike males, females tend to lose hair more uniformly. Female hair loss is often associated with hormonal changes that occur when a woman goes through menopause.
Heredity may be a deciding factor in male-pattern baldness, but you don’t have let it have the final say. Treatments like NeoGraft® hair restoration have given men excellent options for restoring a full, natural-looking head of hair.
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