Male Androgenetic Alopecia

December 2004 in “ The Journal of Men's Health & Gender ”

Rodney Sinclair

androgenetic alopecia male pattern baldness androgen dihydrotestosterone DHT androgen receptors dermal papilla hair follicles 5a-reductase follicular miniaturisation inflammation

Studysummary This article discusses the role of androgens in hair follicle changes, explaining how dihydrotestosterone contributes to hair thinning on the scalp, while promoting thicker facial hair in men, and reports no new clinical results.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

This document from 18 years ago discusses male androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, which is the most common cause of hair loss in men. The pathogenesis involves androgen, and in particular dihydrotestosterone, binding to androgen receptors in the dermal papilla of sensitive hair follicles. The resulting hair produced from that follicle is shorter and finer and provides less complete scalp coverage. The article explores the role of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in hair loss and the varying levels of DHT production in different hair follicles. The article also discusses the self-regulation of hair follicles in response to androgens, which leads to the quantifiable difference in androgen receptor numbers and 5a-reductase activity observed between balding and non-balding areas of the scalp. The article concludes that the three key features of androgenetic alopecia pathogenesis are alteration of hair cycle dynamics, follicular miniaturisation, and inflammation.

View this study on liebertpub.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

23 / 23 results

research Perception of Men with Androgenetic Alopecia by Women and Nonbalding Men in Korea: How the Nonbald Regard the Bald

26 citations , December 2002 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that in Korea, nonbald individuals perceive balding men as older and less attractive, with women more likely than nonbald men to view them as less attractive.

research Androgenetic Alopecia: Pathogenesis and Potential for Therapy

174 citations , November 2002 in “Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine”

This review discusses the genetic factors contributing to androgenetic alopecia and highlights the potential for developing more effective therapies based on recent discoveries, but reports no new clinical results.

research Cutaneous Androgen Metabolism: Basic Research And Clinical Perspectives

233 citations , November 2002 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This review explores androgen metabolism in the skin, highlighting enzyme localization and potential implications for treating androgen-dependent skin conditions, but it reports no new clinical results.

research Androgenetic Alopecia: Analysis of Proliferation and Apoptosis

12 citations , August 2002 in “Archives of Dermatology”

research Possible Mechanisms of Miniaturization During Androgenetic Alopecia or Pattern Hair Loss

116 citations , September 2001 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study suggests that miniaturization in pattern hair loss may occur abruptly and can be reversed with treatment, as supported by histologic evidence in finasteride-responsive patients.

research Polymorphism of the Androgen Receptor Gene Is Associated with Male Pattern Baldness

299 citations , March 2001 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that specific genetic markers near the androgen receptor gene are significantly more common in men with male pattern baldness, suggesting a genetic component in its development.

research The Genetics of Androgenetic Alopecia

50 citations , March 2001 in “Clinics in Dermatology”

Genes and hormones cause hair loss, with four genes contributing equally.

research Differences in Hair Follicle Dermal Papilla Volume Are Due to Extracellular Matrix Volume and Cell Number: Implications for the Control of Hair Follicle Size and Androgen Responses

231 citations , December 1999 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that the volume of a hair follicle's dermal papilla is strongly correlated with its size, primarily due to the number of cells it contains and the volume of extracellular matrix.

research Immunohistochemical Localization of Types 1 and 2 5α-Reductase in Human Scalp

100 citations , September 1999 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This study suggests that finasteride's effect on promoting hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia may be due to its inhibition of 5aR2 localized in hair follicles.

research Serum Androgens and Genetic Linkage Analysis in Early Onset Androgenetic Alopecia

32 citations , August 1999 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that individuals with early onset extensive androgenetic alopecia have an elevated ratio of DHT to testosterone, but no significant genetic linkage to markers on chromosomes 2 or 5 was detected.

research Androgen-Dependent Beard Dermal Papilla Cells Secrete Autocrine Growth Factors in Response to Testosterone Unlike Scalp Cells

51 citations , November 1998 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

In this study, researchers found that while both beard and scalp dermal papilla cells release similar autocrine growth factors, only beard cells increased production and response with testosterone, suggesting these factors enhance androgen-induced hair growth.

research Fortnightly Review: Male Pattern Androgenetic Alopecia

179 citations , September 1998 in “BMJ”

This article reviews the pathogenesis, genetic basis, and recent treatment breakthroughs for androgenetic alopecia but reports no new clinical findings.

research Genetic Analysis of Male Pattern Baldness and the 5α-Reductase Genes

169 citations , June 1998 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found no significant genetic association between the 5α-reductase enzyme genes and male pattern baldness, suggesting a polygenic etiology rather than simple inheritance.

research Quality of Life Issues in Male Pattern Hair Loss

25 citations , January 1998 in “Dermatology”

Male pattern hair loss negatively affects quality of life, but drug treatments can help.

Increased Scalp Skin and Serum 5a-Reductase Reduced Androgens in a Man Relevant to the Acquired Progressive Kinky Hair Disorder and Developing Androgenetic Alopecia

research Increased Scalp Skin and Serum 5a-Reductase Reduced Androgens in a Man Relevant to the Acquired Progressive Kinky Hair Disorder and Developing Androgenetic Alopecia

11 citations , September 1997 in “Archives of Dermatology”

Reduced androgens linked to kinky hair disorder and hair loss; 5a-reductase inhibitors may help.

Different Levels of 5α-Reductase Type I and II, Aromatase, and Androgen Receptor in Hair Follicles of Women and Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

research Different Levels of 5α-Reductase Type I and II, Aromatase, and Androgen Receptor in Hair Follicles of Women and Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

416 citations , September 1997 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

People with hair loss have more androgen receptors and enzymes in certain follicles, with men and women showing different patterns.

research The Use of Dermal Papilla Cells in Studies of Normal and Abnormal Hair Follicle Biology

19 citations , October 1996 in “Dermatologic Clinics”

This review discusses using cultured dermal papilla cells to investigate hair follicle biology, emphasizing their potential to inform treatments, but reports no new clinical results.

research Androgen Metabolism as It Affects Hair Growth in Androgenetic Alopecia

143 citations , October 1996 in “Dermatologic Clinics”

Too much androgen can cause hair loss; finasteride may help.

research Androgen Induction of Follicular Epithelial Cell Growth Is Mediated via Insulin-like Growth Factor-I from Dermal Papilla Cells

173 citations , July 1995 in “Biochemical and biophysical research communications”

This study suggests that IGF-I may mediate androgen-induced hair growth in outer root sheath cells cocultured with beard dermal papilla cells.

research The Psychological Effects of Androgenetic Alopecia in Men

192 citations , June 1992 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Hair loss can cause low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression in men.

research Cultured Dermal Papilla Cells From Androgen-Dependent Human Hair Follicles Contain More Androgen Receptors Than Those From Non-Balding Areas Of Scalp

124 citations , April 1992 in “Journal of Endocrinology/Journal of endocrinology”

This study observed that cells from androgen-sensitive areas like the beard and scrotum showed higher androgen receptor levels compared to those from non-balding scalp areas, supporting the role of dermal papilla in follicle growth responses to androgens.

research The Comparative Histopathology of Male-Pattern Baldness and Senescent Baldness

143 citations , October 1988 in “Clinics in Dermatology”

This review discusses the histopathology of male-pattern baldness and highlights ongoing disputes over several aspects, including sebaceous gland size and follicle loss, reporting no new clinical findings.

research The Inheritance Of Common Baldness: To Be Or Not To Be?

203 citations , November 1984 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This study presents evidence suggesting that androgenetic alopecia is most likely inherited through a polygenic model, challenging the traditional view that it is caused by a simple Mendelian autosomal dominant gene.