Often considered an issue that predominantly affects older men, thinning hair and hair loss can affect anyone, regardless of age or gender. While stress, nutrition, medications, and hormones can all contribute to hair loss, genetics is the most significant factor in determining how much hair you will lose.
What Is Genetic Hair Loss?
The medical term for hereditary hair loss is androgenetic alopecia. Also called male or female-pattern baldness, genetic hair loss is hereditary and is the most common cause of hair loss. Genetic hair loss can begin in men as early as their 20s and typically starts with a receding hairline and sometimes progresses to complete baldness. Data shows that almost 80% of men experience androgenetic alopecia by the age of 80.
Genetic hair loss affects nearly 50% of all women by age 80, with symptoms often first appearing after menopause. The symptoms of genetic hair loss in women typically include thinning in the part of their hair, followed by thinning all over the scalp. It's rare for women to experience total baldness like men.
The Hair Loss Genes
A common and often repeated myth is that hair loss is inherited from your mother and is directly related to the health of her father's hair follicles. However, while the exact cause of male and female pattern baldness is still not fully understood, research shows that genetic hair loss involves more than one parent or gene.
Many factors determine when and if a person will experience hair loss; however, researchers believe that one cause is a derivative of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In addition to inheriting hair loss patterns from your parents, you can also inherit a sensitivity to DHT.
Studies have found that an enzyme in the body converts testosterone into the hormone DHT, which attacks hair follicles. DHT causes hair follicles to thin out and miniaturize over time, causing hair to grow thinner and more brittle and leading to male or female pattern baldness.
DHT is only one of many factors that affect hair loss. A 2017 review published in the National Library of Medicine identified 63 genes believed to play a role in genetic hair loss, which makes it challenging to determine how these genes interact with each other and environmental factors to contribute to hair loss.
How You Can Slow Your Hair Loss
Although genetic hair loss is hereditary, there are steps you can take to minimize your hair loss and maximize your hair's growth potential. One of the most important steps you can take to improve your overall health and the health of your hair is to develop healthy lifestyle habits. Eating a well-balanced diet, minimizing stress, getting adequate sleep, and regular exercise can help to create a healthy environment for hair growth.
At LH Hair, we offer clients a variety of proven, effective treatments that can not only stop hair loss but, in some cases, reverse the process and promote hair regrowth. Some of the treatment options available include:
- Topical medications. Topical medications are applied directly to the affected area of the scalp and are often the first line of treatment.
- Oral medications. FDA-approved oral medications can help slow hair loss and are sometimes prescribed.
- Laser light therapy. Laser therapy uses low-level laser light to help improve circulation to the affected area.
Is My Hair Loss Genetic?
Regardless of gender, genetics play a significant role in hair loss. While genetic hair loss is permanent, several steps can be taken to slow it and stimulate the growth of new hair.
At LH Hair, our team of professionals can help determine whether your hair loss is due to genetics and identify any contributing factors. We can then recommend treatment options to help stop your hair loss.
To learn more about what you can do about genetic hair loss, contact us today and schedule your FREE initial consultation.
