What causes androgenetic alopeciaHairstyle is one of the most important ways of expressing the individual, both men and women, both for themselves and for the image that others create for them but also a very important element of attractiveness and individuality.
As positive as the symbolism of the rich hair is for both sexes, so negative was the symbolism of hair loss.
It is no coincidence that hair loss, for whatever reason, has a significant emotional impact on anyone suffering from it, and it is striking that the most important side effect reported by patients receiving Chemotherapy is not fatigue, pain or severe gastrointestinal discomfort. but the temporary hair loss they experience!
Hair loss has many causes, but in 95% of cases, in both men and women, it is caused by Androgenetic Alopecia, the common baldness. For the remaining 5%, hair loss is transient or related to a disease, which if treated, the hair grows back.
The term Androgenetic Alopecia (AA) summarizes the complex etiology of this condition, as "andro-" refers to the hormonal and "genetic-" to the hereditary parameter of its pathogenesis.
Aristotle was the first to observe the correlation between AA and sexual maturity, as stated in the treatise "History Animalium", that boys who were castrated before adolescence did not have the typical male hair on the body, nor did AA.
In 1951, the American anatomist James Hamilton observed and recorded the same phenomenon and laid the foundations for the hormonal theory of the etiology of AA, which was completed in 1974 by endocrinologist Imperato-McGinley, who demonstrated that the hormone that ultimately causes AA is not Testosterone, but a derivative of it, Dihydro-testosterone (DHT), which is produced by the enzyme 5-α-reductase. (5-αR)
As for the inherited part of AA, it has only recently been proven which genes are related to hair loss, that they are inherited from both parents and how one can now find out with a specialized Gene Test for Hair Loss whether he or his children will develop AA in future.
The important thing to understand is that both elements, hormones and genes must coexist in AA hair loss. No matter how many hormones one takes without AA genes, one will not lose one's hair, while as long as one has hormones with AA genes, one will lose hair.
Other parameters that are often blamed, such as sebaceous glands, germs, stress, diet, smoking, etc., have little effect and may simply hasten the onset of AA.
In men, AA begins as an almost uniform, symmetrical thinning along the frontal line and temples followed by a thinning at the top of the head. Gradually and over time, the empty areas often merge to give the impression of extensive-complete AA with only one 'strip' of hair remaining on the sides and back of the head.
The picture and course of development of female AA is different and diffuse thinning of hair growth begins on the upper part of the head, while women with AA almost always maintain their frontal hair growth.
AA is extremely common and even per decade of life, a corresponding percentage of men suffer from obvious AA, ie at 20 years it suffers 20%, at 30 years it suffers 30% and so on. In women, the rates are clearly lower until menopause, in the 5th decade, when abruptly, unfortunately, 50% of women will develop AA, after the production of female hormones, which act protectively on the hair follicles, stops.
Source: iatronet.gr