About Hair Loss

Advances in medical science have taught us that hair loss is a genetic trait and baldness genes are actually passed down from both sides of the family, affecting both men and women. Baldness genes can also skip generations and randomly affect both male and female siblings. They may even have a very different effect on siblings in the same family.

Male Baldness

Scientists believe that family history and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) are key factors in Androgenetic Alopecia, or “male pattern baldness”. DHT is a substance in the body that can shrink the hair follicle until it becomes weaker, finer and eventually stops growing.

Some areas of the scalp are more susceptible to DHT than others. For example, even in men who experience advanced baldness, DHT does not usually affect hair on the back and sides of the head, which is why these areas retain hair for life.

Female Baldness

Throughout a female’s lifetime, DHT is counteracted by estrogen. However, during menopause estrogen levels drop. Hair follicles may then become prone to the effects of DHT and hair loss can occur. Female hair loss patterns in women are marked by thinning throughout the scalp.

Types of Hair Loss

Hair loss does not appear the same way for everyone, so it is important to understand how far your hair loss has progressed before deciding on a treatment.

Learn more about Hair Loss Types