Male Pattern Hair Loss

Female pattern and male pattern hair loss are caused by the same process but have different appearances depending on the patient's sex. This is also called male-pattern baldness, common baldness, etc. Is may begin anytime after puberty and as early as the second decade and usually full blown by age forties. It is classified into stage according to the Ludwig scale.

The mechanism of action of male hair loss is unclear but in most cases it occurs locally at the scalp. This means that blood testing may show normal hormonal levels. But at the level of the scalp there may be many changes in how androgens are handled. Interestingly males that are castrated prior to puberty do not develop this type of hair loss despite strong family history of such hair loss. DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is the main culprit hormone which causes loss of non-androgen dependent scalp hairs.

There are numerous treatment options that a dermatologist can review with the patient. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) may be a good choice to re-grow hair in many patients.