Secret revealed by a hair transplant surgeon @ Atodaria Hair Transplant & Cosmetic Surgery Center in Surat, Gujarat, India
Male/Female Pattern Baldness or Androgenetic Alopecia:
By Definition it is hereditary thinning of the hair induced by androgens [Hormones] in genetically susceptible men and women. It is also known as
- Male-pattern hair loss (MPHL) or common baldness in men
- Female-pattern hair loss in women (FPHL)
Pattern baldness is genetically transmitted from either of the parents. It is very important to know the family history of baldness including grade + pattern of baldness & at what age parent/s developed baldness. All these information helps a lot in planning your hair transplant procedure correctly.
Male Pattern Baldness or Androgenetic Alopecia is the most common indication for which Hair transplant is done. It can be managed by either Strip / FUT, FUE or B.H.T.(Body hair Transplant) technique of hair transplant.
Why there is Baldness? Importance of knowing the reason:
It is very important for the person undergoing hair transplant [either FUT,FUE or BHT] to understand “Why he /she is losing hair”. Once the person opting for hair transplant understands the reasons, he/she will be able to take the correct decision which technique e.g. Strip [FUT], FUE or Body Hair Transplant [BHT] is a better choice for him/her.
After puberty, in male there is a Testosterone hormone surge which continues then onwards. This hormone is responsible for secondary sexual characteristics of male e.g. growth of hairs over beard, mustaches, chest, pubic & axilla etc.. Testosterone gets converted into Di-Hydro Testosterone [DHT] by 5 Alfa reductase enzymes. NOTE: If you take medicine which block the action of 5 Alfa reductase enzyme, then hair fall/loss will be reduced drastically!!
In genetically susceptible person, hair roots of frontal & vertex region are having receptor for DHT . The DHT binds with receptor in hair roots present in frontal & vertex region & leads to Miniaturization of the hair follicle [c] as show in trichoscopic examination pictures [1,2]. You can compare them with normal hairs [a, b] in pictures 1 , 2 as well as 3 [normal hairs over back – occipital region]. Baldness starts in twenties & continues to progress till the age of 80.
Photo graphs of effect of DHT:
