Most people, even those who have experienced baldness, do not understand the nature of the disease. Therefore, today I want to talk about how androgenetic alopecia usually begins, and how it develops. In addition, I will try to answer the question whether a patient can prevent or stop (or even reverse) this unpleasant process.

Should you worry about alopecia because of regular hair loss?

Androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, is the gradual reduction and degradation of the hair follicle. It is the organ that “creates” the hair. As a result of such degradation, over time, pigmentation and hair thickness decreases, and healthy hair turns into fluffy. Later, a man can completely lose his hair.

Contrary to popular belief, hair loss itself does not cause baldness. On the contrary, in the vast majority of cases, losing hair means maintaining it in a healthy state. Unlike, for example, nails, hair does not grow constantly, but in cycles. The last stage of the hair growth cycle leads to its loss. After this stage, the cycle begins again.

But, with male alopecia, the hair growth phase gets reduced. This, in turn, leads to a reduction in the amount of hair on the scalp.

What causes the occurrence and development of baldness in men?

First of all, the main reasons for androgenetic alopecia include the genetic “increased” sensitivity of hair follicles in a certain area of the scalp to androgens. Studies on men lacking testicular androgens have shown an interesting link. Testosterone or its metabolites are the root cause of the development of baldness.

Nevertheless, even almost complete elimination of androgens only stops the development of baldness in men, but does not return the follicles to their normal state. This suggests that, in addition to androgenic effects, other processes also take part in the development of male alopecia.

How does dihydrotestosterone affect male pattern baldness?

Despite the fact that any androgen contributes to the development of alopecia, dihydrotestosterone has the greatest influence on this sad process. This substance causes the hair to grow on the body, but at the same time to fall out on the head. It gets synthesized directly in the target tissues (in our case, in the skin), and we can do absolutely nothing about it. Unless trying to stop the process with the help of potent medicines.