When confronted with a term such as androgenetic alopecia it is tempting to squirm in discomfort. After all, behind this term undoubtedly hides a very serious condition that may not even be solved or abated with the use of drugs. Truth be told, androgenetic alopecia is little more than a fancy term for male pattern baldness, a scourge which affects many a man – interestingly, some women are also subject to this condition – who will suddenly notice a receding hairline, bald spots and a sharp increase in the numbers of hairs found in the sink and comb. Of course, the presence of androgenetic alopecia at times comes on the heels of a thorough physiological work-up to ensure that hair loss is not actually a symptom of a physical condition, such as a thyroid disorder or autoimmune disease.
By and large the presence of androgenetic alopecia follows a very predictable pattern: a man may find that when viewed slightly from above, the hair loss appears in the shape of the capital letter M. In other words, the sides or corners of the face will notice a receding of the hairline while the forehead in the very middle will still feature hair. In some men the M shape is of transitory nature and before long the remaining hair will also fall out. Women do not usually showcase the M shaped loss, but they may express their androgenetic alopecia in the form of a severe overall thinning of the hair.
While it would be simplistic to claim that androgenetic alopecia is part and parcel of a man’s genetic makeup, there are other factors which play a major role in this condition.
- The onset of androgenetic alopecia is sometimes known to concur with the onset of type 2 diabetes - a condition that affects more and more people in the United States.
- Other times, androgenetic alopecia may be indicative of a chance that the prostate is enlarging or that prostate cancer is present.
- Of note is the fact that women suffering from androgenetic alopecia may need to have their hormone levels checked since the condition is oftentimes seen as a symptom of ovarian cysts.
Of course, genetic factors greatly contribute to a man’s susceptibility of developing this kind of hair loss pattern and even though there is no ironclad correlation found between the various chromosomes, the perusal of family photographs throughout the generations do point toward a strong hereditary aspect of the condition. Interestingly, it is hard to determine if it is the father’s or mother’s genetic makeup that decides whether or not a man will showcase the telltale M of androgenetic alopecia.
The fact that many men feel that male pattern baldness is a direct assault on their masculinity has led to the creation, manufacture, and marketing of a plethora of tinctures, balms, nutritional supplements, and other concoctions which claim to re-grow hair. Most of these items do not work and if you are affected by androgenetic alopecia it is wise to discuss your concern and also your wish to explore hair loss remedies with a physician before attempting to self medicate with the help of Internet remedies or hair loss shampoo.
