Male Pattern Baldness

Description

Male Pattern Baldness is a type of (Non-Scarring) Hair Loss that typically manifests as Hair Loss centered over the vertex of the Scalp with an "m"-shaped frontal-temporal recession.

 Male Pattern Baldness is the most common form of Hair Loss - it accounts for 95% of all instances of Hair Loss.

Males

 The incidence of Male Pattern Baldness (in males) corresponds roughly to age (e.g. at age 40, approximately 40% of (Caucasian) men are afflicted with Male Patttern Baldness and at the age of 80, approximately 80% of men are afflicted with Male Pattern Baldness). 

 The number of Chinese men affected by Male Pattern Baldness is approximately half that of Caucasian males.  American Indians and African Americans also have a lower incidence of Male Pattern Baldness compared to Caucasians.  These differences between races suggest that a genetic predisposition to Male Pattern Baldness is an important factor.

Females

 Women can also be affected by Male Pattern Baldness - the incidence of Male Pattern Baldness in women (prior to Menopause) is approximately 33% of the rate at which it occurs in men.  It eventually affects 20% to 40% of women.

 Hair Loss is first observed in women aged in their late twenties to early forties.  Unlike men the frequency of women affected does not continue to increase with increasing age.  After the fifth decade of life the number of women afflicted with Male Pattern Baldness does not increase.

 When Male Pattern Baldness afflicts women it is known as Female Pattern Baldness.

Hereditary Aspects

 It is known that Male Pattern Baldness can be hereditary:

 Scientifically, MPB is described as being "autosomal dominant with mixed penetrance".  This means that it can be inherited from either the mother or father, but it is not always passed on to the next generation.

 Hereditary MPB involves the inheritance of susceptibility to (increased uptake of, conversion to more active forms of or alterations in receptor sites to) Male Sexual Steroid Hormones (Androgens including Androstenedione, Dihydrotestosterone, DHEA and Testosterone) - DHT being most potent but also  DHEA produced by the Adrenal Glands in females and Androstenedione in males.

 Male Pattern Baldness - Treatments

Enzymes

        5-Alpha Reductase (especially the Type 2 form) is the enzyme responsible for the conversion of Testosterone to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) - excessive DHT is a primary cause of Male Pattern Baldness.  ^[1]