Male Pattern Hair Loss (3)

Male Pattern Hair Loss (3)


What causes male patternhair loss?

While it is not completely understood
why the hair follicles on men’s heads
stop producing new hairs, the male
hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone)
is thought to play a part.
Testosterone, the most important male sex
hormone (androgen) in men, is responsible
for the growth of bone and muscles,
sexual function and for producing physical
characteristics in men including facial and
body hair. In the body, testosterone is
converted to DHT by an enzyme (5-alpha
reductase). DHT acts on different organs
in the body including the hair follicles
and cells in the prostate. For reasons we
don’t understand, hair follicles sometimes
become more sensitive to DHT, slowing
down hair production and producing
weaker, shorter hair. Sometimes hair
growth stops completely. It is not clear
why different hair follicles are affected at
different times, making the balding process
gradual or why only scalp hairs are affected.