Why do people go bald

Male pattern baldness begins at the temples, front of the scalp and crown of the head. Over the course of months or years, bald areas of the scalp meet and conjoin. Have you ever noticed that men who are bald still have tufts of hair below their ears? For some reason, this section of hair is genetically programmed not fall out. There are pharmaceutical, surgical and cosmetic treatments treatments for baldness. Topical minoxidil Rogaine and finasteride Propecia are the only drugs approved by the FDA to treat pattern baldness.

Minoxidil is a vasodilator that is also used to treat high blood pressure. When used to treat hair loss, it widens blood vessels and provides more blood flow to the hair follicles. This is applied directly to the scalp. These are the most common treatments for male pattern baldness and general alopecia. But, keep in mind and your doctor should discuss with you the side effects associated with finasterides such as:.

If your hairline is receding or your crown is thinning, you may wonder why this is happening and what exactly is causing your thinning hair. You may also be wondering what, if anything, you can do to reverse this trend. Read on to learn more about the reasons why men lose their hair and the treatments that may help slow down the balding process.

The vast majority of men who go bald do so because of a hereditary condition known as androgenetic alopecia, more commonly known as male pattern baldness. According to the American Hair Loss Association, 95 percent of hair loss in men is caused by androgenetic alopecia. This inherited trait that tends to give guys a receding hairline and a thinning crown is caused by genetic sensitivity to a byproduct of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone DHT.

Well, hair follicles that are sensitive to DHT have a tendency to shrink over time. As the affected hair follicles get smaller, the life span of each hair becomes shorter.

With male pattern baldness, hair loss typically follows a predictable pattern. The two most common patterns of hair loss include the following:. The degree and progression of balding in men is assessed by the Norwood classification system. It has seven stages that measure the severity and pattern of hair loss and balding. Male pattern baldness affects the majority of men at some stage in their lives.

According to the American Hair Loss Association :. But with other hair loss causes, you may notice you have other symptoms, too. While many treatments for baldness are not proven to work, there are some things you can do to prevent hair loss :. Both Rogaine and Propecia both claim to prevent hair loss. Hair transplants are also popular. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic.

Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references AskMayoExpert. Mayo Clinic; Malki L, et al. Variant PAD13 in central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia. New England Journal of Medicine. Briggs JK. Hair loss. Triage Protocols for Aging Adults. Waloters Kluwer; Warner KJ. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic, Nov. Office of Patient Education. Hair replacement surgery. American Academy of Dermatology. Accessed Jan. American Cancer Society. Van Zuuren EJ, et al.

Interventions for female pattern hair loss.