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Androgenetic alopecia
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Androgenetic alopecia is the most common kind of hair loss, the one that creeps along slowly and traces a different pattern in men than in women. In the male form, androgen signaling, the signal carried by the androgens circulating through the body, can shorten the growing season of certain follicles, the little pockets of skin that each hair sprouts from. Not every follicle reacts this way: only the susceptible ones do.
Each time one of those follicles runs through its cycle again, the hair it puts out is shorter and finer than the one before, like a pencil that comes back from the sharpener smaller every time. That process is called follicular miniaturization. And it isn't passed down in any simple way: genetic variants play a part, and so do other factors, so looking at who you take after in the family doesn't tell you the whole story.
In brief
Androgenetic alopecia is a common form of progressive hair loss that follows different patterns in men and women.
In male pattern hair loss, androgen signaling can shorten the growth phase of susceptible follicles. With each cycle, those follicles produce shorter, finer hairs, a process called follicular miniaturization.
Susceptibility is complex: genetic variants and other factors play a role, and the condition does not follow a simple inheritance pattern.
Sources (2)
- MedlinePlus GeneticsAndrogenetic alopeciaPublished
- Indian Journal of DermatologyAndrogenetic Alopecia: An UpdatePublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated