#3-2. What Are the Causes of Hair Loss?

▶ Previous Artlcle #3-1. What Are the Causes of Hair Loss?

For the female-pattern baldness, although there exist genetic factors influencing hair loss inherited from both father’s and mother’s line, hair loss is not so severe, showing just signs of thinning hair.

So far, genes that causes baldness have not been identified yet, and it is known that several genes indirectly affect hair loss.

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Male Hormones

Androgen, or testosterone, and its metabolite dihydrotestosterone (DHT), trigger the miniaturization of some of the hair follicles, eventually making them dead.

These hormones can cause female-pattern baldness.

DHT is known to be the direct cause of male-pattern baldness.

DHT is a metabolite derived from testosterone with the aid of an enzyme, called 5-alpha reductase.

DHT produced by testosterone, a male hormone, kills pores.

DHT is produced in abundance in testicles and seminal glands, and also in small quantities in adrenal glands (suprarenal glands) and ovaries.

Because DHT gives much more powerful stimulation to hair follicles than testosterone does, it inhibits protein synthesis of keratinocyte cells, resulting in thinning hair.

As hairs become thinner, male-pattern baldness develops, and hair loss accelerates if accompanied by genetic or other factors of baldness.