Baldness Genetics

The myth that hair loss is passed down from one side of the family or the other was actually started in 1916 by a female physician named Dorothy Osborne, who published a paper saying that pattern baldness was inherited in a certain way. That myth has been propagated through the dermatologic literature all this time. In fact, there is no single way to get hair loss from your parents. We now understand that it is a complex trait, that there's a contribution most likely from both parents, so the genetics of it become more complicated as we understand more about it.

Because hereditary hair loss is gradual, the sooner treatment is started, the better the chances of results. Checking your family tree to see if you have a possible genetic predisposition to hair loss might help you recognize the symptoms early enough to slow the progression.

Hereditary hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia, is marked by a progressive miniaturization of hair follicles, causing a shortening of the hair's growth cycle. As the growth phase shortens, the hair becomes thinner and shorter. Eventually there is no growth at all.

In women, hair loss tends to be more widespread but better hidden. The top of the head down the middle is most commonly affected, often in a "Christmas tree" pattern. In contrast to men, the hairline along the forehead and temples usually remains normal in women. Complete loss of hair in any one place on the scalp is unusual and may suggest that a different problem is the cause, such as alopecia areata (an immune system disorder that causes bald patches), a fungus infection or one of a number of skin conditions.