The short answer is that genes inherited from both sides of your family affect your chances of going bald. While we often hear that a man's chance of going bald is inherited from the maternal side, that's only partially true. The estimates vary, but about 60-70% of balding risk can be explained by someone's genetics1.
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.
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.
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.
Why am I balding if my parents aren't bald? If baldness doesn't run in your family but you're still losing hair, it's possible that you're affected by non-genetic hair loss. This could be related to stress, weight loss, illness, hormones, or any number of reasons you're losing hair.
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.
In most cases, male pattern baldness is hereditary (genetic) and can't be prevented. There are medical treatments available to manage and reduce hair loss; your doctor can advise whether they are right for you.
Unfortunately, male and female pattern baldness is not reversible without surgical intervention. However, if detected early enough, certain medications, such as minoxidil, finasteride, and Dutasteride can help halt the progression of thinning hair.
Research suggests that the most dominant hair loss gene is located on your X chromosome, which comes from your mother. However, this is just one contributor, and many other genetic factors that predispose hair loss aren't sex-linked at all. While hair loss can be worrisome, it's usually not hazardous to your health.
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.
How do you tell if I am going bald? Look for gradual thinning focused on the crown and hairline, increased spacing between strands, wider part line, miniaturised hair texture, more than 100 hairs shed daily, and positive pull/comb tests. Discuss symptoms with your dermatologist.
You may be more likely to go bald if your dad is bald — but this isn't always the case. The AR gene is found on the X chromosome. In men, the X chromosome is inherited from your mother. That's why many people believe the baldness gene comes from your mum's side of the family.
According to studies, mitochondrial DNA is inherited solely from the mother.
Specifically, people believed that a gene was passed down from mothers to sons on her X-chromosome. But our Lake Worth dermatology office is here to put that widespread hair myth to rest. If you would like to point a finger and blame anyone for your baldness gene, be sure to blame both your father and mother.
The best predictor of a child's height is their parents' height or, more specifically, the mid-parental height. The mid-parental height is calculated by adding the mother's and father's height, adding 13 cm (5 inches) for boys or subtracting 13 cm (5 inches) for girls, and then finally dividing by 2.
While a baby inherits half of their eye color genetics from one parent and half from the other parent, the way that the multiple genes interact also plays a role in determining eye color.
When Thrillist polled people, a majority said they wouldn't mind dating a bald guy. 76% either don't care about hair loss or prefer a bald man. Unsurprisingly, many of the people polled said that baldness isn't an excuse for poor grooming.
Hair loss is a common and progressive condition in men that stems from genetic, hormonal, and lifestyle factors. It often stops or slows between the ages of 30 and 50. Although male pattern baldness is inevitable for most individuals, lifestyle changes and medical treatments provide potential ways to stop hair loss.
Yet, testosterone is not the reason some men go bald and others don't. Plenty of bald guys have low testosterone levels, and plenty of guys with flowing locks have high testosterone levels. Male pattern baldness comes down to how sensitive your hair follicles are to the effects of hormones, which is genetic.
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.
It is highly unlikely that baldness will be cured by 2030, as there is presently no such cure in the process of being approved for large-scale commercial use. It normally takes several years to pass through multiple phases of clinical trials before receiving this approval.
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.