Male Pattern Baldness

Why do men go bald? The most common baldness of all is directed at men and as the name suggests- tends to follow a pattern or sequence. The most common patterns involve hair moving back and away from the face, or receding as well as the gradually thinning on the very top of the head called the crown.

The most agreed upon cause of male pattern baldness is genetics and it might be a positively inherited trait! Various primate species experience hair loss and develop enlarged foreheads to convey increased seniority and rank. Baldness may have evolved through sexual selection as an enhanced signal of aging and social maturity. Female primates would seek a dominant male, but would also be leery of over-aggression and risk-taking decrease and highly drawn to nurturing behavior. They want mates that will be good with the kids.

Men with facial hair and bald or receding hair are seen as older than those clean-shaven or with a full head of hair. Beards and a full head of hair are seen as more aggressive and less mature. Women most interested in having kids and a permanent relationship are equally attracted to slightly bald or full heads of hair. Younger women more interested in sexual relationships and less concerned with reproduction overwhelming rated men higher with full heads of hair. Both sets of women gave the lowest ratings to significantly balding men.

Studies stress the importance of the maternal line in the inheritance of male pattern baldness. The androgen receptor gene has been nailed as the cardinal prerequisite for male pattern baldness with a certain variant of the androgen receptor the culprit. This gene is recessive. For a woman to show this typically male pattern, she would require two X chromosomes. Seeing that androgens and their interaction with the androgen receptor are the cause of male pattern baldness, the androgen receptor gene likely plays a critical role.

Another X chromosome gene near the androgen receptor gene may relate to male pattern baldness. The region Xq11-q12 on the X-chromosome is strongly associated with male pattern baldness, most specifically the EDA2R gene. Another potential cause: a recessive gene is on chromosome 3 located at 3q26. that is also associated with mental retardation. A gene that might be partially responsible is the P2RY5 and is linked to hair structure.