Male Pattern Baldness describes a pattern of hair loss rather than a medical condition per se. The hair thins generally in line with a pattern that results in it receding back from the temples leaving a familiar peak in place at the front.
This often runs alongside the spreading, from the crown, of a bald spot.
MPB & Hair loss – disambiguation
Not all hair loss is attributable to MPB. Hair thinning and loss (whether classic MPB or not) may be caused by one or more factors:
• Genetic pre-disposition;
• Hormonal imbalances;
• Life style;
• Environnent;
• Stress;
• Medication and drugs (prescription or otherwise);
• Illness;
• Age.
This is a hugely complex mixture of factors and explains why the holy grail of a ‘cure’ for hair loss in general, and MPB specifically, has been so hard to come by. It’s not easy to know what exactly it is you’re treating in some situations.
Let’s consider some of these factors and also differentiate between hair loss and MPB.
Illness, medication and drugs
As you’d expect – first a warning.
This article should not be interpreted as qualified medical advice. If you have cause to worry about your health or medication or suffer sudden and severe hair loss without obvious cause, you should consult a physician.
Some forms of hair loss are often attributable to strong medications. For example, patients undergoing chemotherapy may suffer severe or even total hair loss although this is not MPB progression and should not be confused with MPB.
Some forms of less radical medication may also cause a thinning or loss of hair and that may resemble a classic MPB progression and may be confused with it.
Some illness and infections can also lead to hair loss but, as a general rule, hair loss due to illness or medication is not usually regarded at MPB.
Typical MPB only very rarely indicates a serious underlying medical condition but never make that assumption – get it checked out and validated by a qualified medical professional.
Age
Hair loss is something that happens as your body ages.
That’s why some people favour abandoning the term MPB and talking instead about premature MPB.
Is there any reason why a man of 80 should feel happier about severe MPB than say a man of 40? Perhaps not, but in spite of the best efforts of medical and cosmetic science, as people move towards their third age they may have to accept a degree of hair thinning and loss.
Stress, Environment & Life style
There is no accepted causal link between some aspects of life style, such as exercise, and MPB. Many men that are super-fit experience hair loss and MPB as badly as those that don’t exercise at all.
However, there is some evidence that severe stress can accelerate premature MPB progression or lead to other forms of hair loss. It’s also the case that sometimes, environmental factors may play a part such as some forms of toxins and foodstuffs that are not compatible with your individual biology.
The effects of these factors are not well known. For some, saying that they may play a factor in MPB hair loss or the rate of its progression remains controversial.
Hormones and genetic pre-disposition
Here, there is rather more unanimity.
The effects of Testosterone on the hair are now reasonably well understood – at least in principle. The body converts Testosterone into something called DHT – and that is what adversely affects the hair follicles.
What is far less clear is why this affects some more than others (though this is where genetics plays a part) or what purpose it serves, in evolutionary terms.
The twin effects of hormones and genetic pre-disposition are normally regarded as being the ‘smoking barrel’ in terms of classic MPB attribution.
Note that other forms of hormonal imbalance may also lead to hair loss and those conditions would not normally be categorized as MPB
Conclusion
As we age, a degree of hair thinning and loss may be inevitable.
However, many millions of men worldwide (some studies suggest 25-50% of men in the US under the age of 50) also experience significant hair loss at ages where they would traditionally not be called ‘old’.
Assuming that the hair loss is not arising from a recognized atypical source such as drugs or illness, it may be described as Male Pattern Baldness.
Comments on this entry are closed.