Although baldness is commonly associated with men, hair loss can affect anyone, regardless of gender. Genetics play a significant role in determining how much hair loss you will experience as you age. Other factors, such as stress, nutrition, and medications, can also contribute to baldness.
Although genetic hair loss cannot be reversed, you can take steps to slow it down and maximize your hair growth potential. In this article, we'll look at the genetics of baldness, debunk a common balding myth, and discuss how you can slow hereditary hair loss.
Hair loss caused by genetics occurs in a predictable pattern known as male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness. MPB typically begins in your 20s or 30s as an m-shaped recession at the front of your scalp. By the age of 80, approximately 80% of men have MPB, according to Trusted Source.
Women frequently experience hair loss in the Ludwig pattern after menopause, which is a gradual receding along the part of your hair. By the age of 80, approximately half of all women will have female pattern hair. The most common cause of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, which includes MPB and FPB.
You may have heard that men inherit the baldness gene solely from their mother's father. Even if this isn't always the case, it has some validity. In reality, the genetic component of male pattern baldness is still unknown, but it is thought to be polygenic, which means it involves more than one gene. People have 23 chromosome pairs that contain their genetic information. These chromosomes code for everything from your eye color to the length of your baby's toe.
Your biological sex is determined by one of these pairs of chromosomes, known as the "X" and "Y" chromosomes. Men have one "X" chromosome and one "Y" chromosome, whereas women have two "X" chromosomes. Men get their "X" chromosome from their mother and their "Y" chromosome from their father.
The AR Trusted Source Gene is strongly linked to baldness. Trusted Source discovered on the "X" chromosome A large study of 12,806 men of European ancestry discovered that those with the gene had more than twice the risk of developing MPB than those without it. However, this is not the only gene that influences whether or not you will go bald. According to a 2017 review, there are 63 genes that may play a role in male pattern baldness, with only six of them being found on the "X" chromosome. According to research, more than 80% of people experiencing noticeable balding had a father who also lost their hair.
A variety of other factors, in addition to genetics, can contribute to hair loss in people of any gender. Women frequently experience hair loss following menopause as a result of hormonal changes, whereas men frequently experience balding beginning in early adulthood. Hormonal changes, alopecia areata, trichotillomania, other medical conditions, specific hairstyles, drugs and supplements, depression, heart problems, gout, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, birth control, radiation therapy, stress, and nutritional deficiencies are examples of these.
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