Hair loss, especially male and female pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia), is influenced by multiple genes, which come from both parents.
Contrary to the folk wisdom that baldness is inherited from one's mother's family, the condition seems to depend on genes contributed by both parents.
While having a bald father increases your likelihood of experiencing baldness, it's not a guarantee. The gene associated with male pattern baldness is often inherited from the mother's side, but it can come from either parent.
The main baldness gene is found to be on the maternal x chromosome. So if you are male, you inherited your x chromosome from your mom. So the likelihood of you becoming bald is fairly high if your mom's dad was bald. But remember your mom has two x chromosomes so she may not have passed on the gene to her male child.
The X or female chromosome carries the primary baldness gene, and men inherit this X chromosome from their mothers. This makes the hereditary factor around baldness most dominant on your mother's side. However, the male pattern baldness gene is polygenic, which means it is caused by more than one gene.
Male pattern baldness doesn't hurt. Many start to notice the early stages of male pattern baldness by their 30s, but they may begin as early as your late teenage years or early 20s. Hair loss on your crown usually appears in a circular shape. A receding hairline often occurs in an “M” shape.
Humans have 22 pairs of autosomes in addition to their XX or XY sex chromosomes. Within each pair, you inherit one autosome from each parent. Any hair loss gene on any autosome can put you at risk of losing hair, regardless of which parent it comes from.
Position and shape of the hairline
There is quite a bit of variation in what is considered average, but 7-9 cm is typical. Hairlines that are relatively closer to the eyebrows are considered low. On the other hand, a high hairline sits higher on the forehead, making it appear large.
East Asian men (such as those of Chinese and Japanese ancestry) are next on the list of those least likely to experience hair loss. For example, while around half of Caucasian men will experience some degree of androgenetic alopecia, a 2010 study of Chinese men found only about 13% did.
It's important to have realistic expectations when deciding to try a particular treatment for male pattern baldness. Although some treatments have good success rates, no treatment will completely reverse the process, and not all treatments will work for everyone.
An “m shaped” hairline is a common feature in men's hair. Although it is sometimes indicative of a condition called male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia), this is not only the case. For around half of all men, the m shaped hairline is a sign of a fully mature hairline.
Some people who don't lose their hair have low levels of the enzyme that converts testosterone, and so more recently researchers have been seeking ways of blocking the enzyme in others.
You might be able to reverse hair loss, or at least slow it. With some conditions, such as patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), hair may regrow without treatment within a year. Treatments for hair loss include medications and surgery.
While it is not uncommon for males to begin experiencing hair loss in their 20s, it is not considered normal for hair loss to occur at such a young age. If you are experiencing hair loss at age 25, you must speak with a healthcare professional to determine the cause and discuss treatment options.
Hereditary baldness can't be prevented. According to Dr. Calero, some people try hair transplant treatments, but they can be pricey and don't always work.
Hair texture and density can vary significantly from person to person, and many individuals with thick, luscious hair wonder if their abundant locks are a safeguard against future baldness. While hair thickness can provide some protection against hair loss, it is not a guarantee against balding.
Fathers will always pass their X chromosome to their daughters and their Y chromosome to their sons. Because females have two X chromosomes, carriers have a second non-pathogenic (or 'wild type') copy of the gene.
A striking characteristic of X-linked inheritance is that fathers cannot pass X-linked traits to their sons; fathers only pass X chromosomes to their daughters and Y chromosomes to their sons.
Boys , on the other hand, only receive a Y chromosome from their father and an X chromosome from their mother. That means all of your son's X-linked genes and traits will come straight from mom.