Male pattern baldness

Medical terms

Androgenetic alopecia, androgenic alopecia

Common terms

Male pattern baldness, common balding process

Overview

The reason a man’s hair gets thin when he suffers from androgenetic alopecia is due to the process of miniaturisation. Each time selected hair follicles go through the hair cycle they become smaller and smaller and thus produces a smaller hair shaft. Eventually the hair shaft is so small that it does not protrude above the level of the skin of the scalp.

Symptoms and signs

Men lose their hair or go bald in a very predictable pattern. Hair on the vertex (top of the head) begins to thin and there may be bilateral temporal recession (loss of hair at the corners of the frontal hair line). This gradually progresses with the hair in this region becoming thinner and thinner and in some people will eventually lead to complete baldness on the top of the scalp. The end-stage is hair like the stereotyped monk’s hair style. This is because the hairs at the back of the scalp are genetically preserved from this process of miniaturization.

Treatment

Fortunately, there is treatment available today (including finasteride and topical minoxidil) which can either arrest or reverse the process of miniaturisation. This means the process of male pattern hair loss in most cases is stopped and in many patients (but not all patients) regrowth of hair can be achieved.