What Causes Male Pattern Baldness?

Male pattern baldness is a common enough problem. As a matter of fact, there's probably at least one person in your family that has suffered from male pattern baldness over the course of their lifetime. Just because it's common doesn't mean there aren't thousands of men around the world looking for a way to stop it-or trying to figure out the cause so they can recognize early on if they're vulnerable and take steps to delay onset until they find a solution.

The Problem

The question is, what causes male pattern baldness? It's important to realize that this is a genetic condition. Sufferers are genetically predisposed to the condition, which is why you can almost guarantee that a man who has gone naturally bald also has at least one, but usually more, male relatives who have also gone bald. Men who go bald at a young age are usually predisposed to do that as well.

If you're wondering if you could be predisposed to male pattern baldness all you have to do is look at your dad and your grandfather. Do they still have a full head of hair? And if their hair is thinning (or gone), when did the process start?

If you want to dig a little deeper into the root cause of male pattern baldness all you have to do is start looking at your hormones. Believe it or not, good old fashioned testosterone is believed to be at the root of male pattern baldness. Yes, you heard that right. Testosterone levels spike after puberty. As time goes by testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which has an adverse effect on your hair follicles. In the case of male pattern baldness the follicle will stop producing hair completely. Existing hairs fall out (which is perfectly normal) but your head isn't producing any more.

The Solution

To date, there is no known solution to male pattern baldness that's guaranteed to ensure you a full head of hair. There are several suggestions out there for men who want to slow the process, however. Some people recommend Saw Palmetto, which helps block DHT from attacking healthy hair follicles, and encourage regular scalp massage to improve circulation. Follicles absolutely require a steady flow of blood to stay healthy and keep producing hair.

Did you know that your hair needs sleep too? If you're suffering from male pattern baldness you'll be pleasantly surprised to discover that getting a minimum of eight hours a night (ten if your kids, your cats and your job will allow it) will go a long way toward keeping your follicles healthy-right along with the rest of you. They don't call it beauty sleep for nothing!

If male pattern baldness is already well underway you may want to look into alternative therapies, such as hair laser phototherapy (which stimulates the scalp and rejuvenates hair growth). This is by far the most successful method of treatment currently available on the market for men who have had quite enough of people rubbing their bald spot for good luck.