Male androgenetic alopecia
December 2004
in “The Journal of Men's Health & Gender”
TLDR Male pattern baldness involves hormone-related hair thinning, shorter hair, and inflammation.
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.
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