Male Pattern Androgenetic Alopecia
May 2006
in “
Skinmed
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TLDR Androgens contribute to common male hair loss; more research needed for hair growth medication.
This document from 2006 discusses male pattern androgenetic alopecia (AGA), a common form of hair loss in men triggered by testosterone. AGA is a complex process involving genetic factors, hormones, and aging. The severity of AGA is graded from type I to VIII based on the universally accepted modified Hamilton-Norwood classification. At least 50% of men by the age of 50 and a similar proportion of women by the age of 60 are affected by this condition, and in Caucasoid men, the lifetime incidence might approach 100%. The document proposes an abridged "intermediate (I) type" to correspond to overlapping types. The document concludes that androgens play a role in the pathogenesis of AGA, and more study on this subject is needed with respect to searching for a medication to promote hair growth.