Imagine losing your hair and going bald anytime soon. It can be devastating, frustrating, and embarrassing. You lose your confidence. In some cases, external factors such as exposure to UV rays, smoking, or strain on the follicles cause hair loss. Other cases of hair loss are solely due to genetics. Now you ask, “Is there a relationship between your genes and hair loss?”
People believed for years that the primary baldness gene is on the X chromosome. However, science says you can’t blame your mother’s genes for a bald head. In fact, doctors say it’s more accurate to blame both of your parents for thinning hair and going bald.
Why We Lose Hair as We Age
The common hair loss condition strongly influenced by genetics is male pattern hair loss. If you have it, you’re not alone. Approximately half of all adults will lose some hair by the time they’re forty. According to some researchers, a certain variation of DNA codes causes individuals to become more sensitive to dihydrotestosterone or DHT. There are various factors that affect hair loss. However, scientists believe the condition is mostly genetic.
What We Should Know about Hair Loss and Genes
Even though it’s not totally your mom’s fault, her genes might play a role, especially if you go bald before middle age. One 2005 German study suggested that balding before the age of forty may be dictated by a gene on the X chromosome. This means that the predisposition would come from a mother’s side of the family.
The researchers hypothesised that men who inherited the alleged balding “gene” from their moms would be predisposed to have more androgen (a male sex hormone) receptors on their scalp, and more likely to go bald early as a result.
There are still various researches and debates being made, but this is the data we have today. Whatever the cause, the most important thing is finding the right treatment and solution for your hair loss.
Treatment for Hair Loss
Initially, people considered permanent hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia. There were no solutions nor treatments for the patients. However, today, due to medical advancements, there is a wide array of treatments available to prevent any type of hair loss.
Medications like minoxidil are effective at the early stages of hair loss and stop the progression of male as well as female pattern baldness. But for severe baldness, hair restoration surgeries, like FUE transplant, offer effective solutions to your hair loss worries. One of the best options is a hair transplant. In this procedure, the hairs on the side and back of your head are transplanted one by one into the bald areas.
One thing to note is that what matters most in hair transplants is the credibility of the medical centre and the surgeon. If you think this is the option for you, you may consult the expertise of a specialist centre like Gold City Hair. Contact us for advice and customised treatment plans.