Male Pattern Baldness
It is the most common type of hair loss in men. It usually follows a typical pattern line receding hairline and hair thinning at the crown and is caused by hormones and genetic predisposition.
Causes and Risk Factors
Hair grows at an average rate of 2.5 cm (1 inch) every two months and each hair grows for 2 to 6 years, remains at that length for a short period and finally falls, then a new hair begins to grow in place. At any given time, nearly 85% of hair on your head is in growing phase and 15% are not.
Each hair sits in a cavity in the skin called a follicle and baldness in men occurs when the follicle shrinks over time, resulting in shorter hair and thinner. The end result is a very small follicle with no hair inside. Ordinarily, hair should grow back, but men who are balding, the follicle fails to grow new hair. The reason this occurs is not understood, but related genes and male sex hormones. Though they’re small, follicles remain alive, suggesting the possibility of new growth
Symptoms
The typical pattern of male baldness begins at the hairline of hair, which gradually recedes to form an “M”. The remaining hair may become thinner and shorter. The hair at the crown can also begin to thin and finally the highest point of the hairline of the hair is thinned crown, leaving a pattern of hair in a horseshoe shape around the sides of the head.
Hair loss in patches, diffuse shedding of hair, breaking of hair shafts or hair loss associated with redness, scaling, pain, or rapid progression could be caused by other conditions.