Male Baldness Info

Many theories suggest that male pattern baldness results from sexual selection. Many suggest that bald men are more virile or sexually active than men with full heads of hair. Although there is yet to be comprehensive evidence either way scientists have agreed that the levels of testosterone and DHT have a significant influence in hair loss.
Many primate species also experience baldness after puberty. In some species the male will encourage frontal hair loss and it appears that frontal balding conveys increased status and maturity to the social group. In humans the response to baldness is extremely variable. Although widely acceptable for men it can be a point of stigma for women.
Fortunately the advancement in hair replacement techniques has made it possible to manage the condition to a certain extent and recover a more socially acceptable head of hair. Here is a look at a number of causes of hair loss.
Trichotillomania
Trichotillomania occurs when the person suffering from the condition compulsively pulls out their own hair. It is classified as an impulse control disorder in which the person pulls out their own hair. This can be the hair on their head, eyebrows, eyelashes, facial hair, nose hair, pubic hair and other body hair. This typically results in noticeable bald patches.
Typically the condition begins in people as young as twelve and it has been recognised in people as old as seventy. In this type of baldness the hairs are not absent from the scalp but are instead broken and not visible. This suggests that they can grow back if they are given the opportunity.
Radiation
Radiation can cause hair loss. Typical examples of this are people that receive radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer. Typically the hair at the point where the treatment is administered can become bald. The area can also become irritated but it can be a type of hair loss that will eventually replenish itself. After treatment the affected area can recover and achieve normal levels of hair growth.
Fungal infection
Some fungal infections can result in massive cases of hair loss. Caused by contact with a yeast or fungus this type of baldness can result in itching that develops to patches of hair loss. The affected area can turn red and experience weeping before losing hair. In this case the hair loss is not permanent as the follicles still exist to produce the hair. As a result when the infection is treated the hair is likely to grow back. This type of hair loss is common in children.
Autoimmune disorder
Alopecia areata is a type of hair loss that causes baldness in patches of hair. Also known as ‘spot baldness’ it can affect just one area of the body or in some cases every hair on the entire body. It usually affects the scalp and causes patches of baldness.
The spots of baldness may be slightly tender and it may tingle. In a very small number of cases it spreads to affect the whole of the scalp. It occurs in both men and women. It is not contagious but there are suggestions that it is hereditary. Many people that have alopecia areata have relatives that suffer from autoimmune disorders.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a disease in which the sufferer experiences an insufficient production of the thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. This can result in hair loss. The thyroid hormone is involved in an enormous range of the body’s functions therefore if it falls out of balance it can result in a wide variety of symptoms. The hair loss that it causes often occurs at the front part of the scalp and the outer edge of the eyebrows.

Hair loss in the animal kingdom can be considered a point of pride. In some primate groups hair loss signifies status and maturity to the group. Female Gorillas have been seen to favour the member of the social group that has the largest forehead as a result of hair loss and as a result many male gorillas have been seen to encourage hair loss by rubbing their foreheads against abrasive surfaces. This trend seems to correlate with responses to baldness from humans.
One study that was conducted revealed that humans saw bald men as older than men with a full head of hair. Bald men and bearded men were considered more aggressive and as a result were considered better sexual partners but were also considered to have less social maturity. The report concluded that bald men could represent enhanced social status with a reduced physical threat and as a result they are more likely to secure reproductive partners.
The social response to baldness is extremely varied between men and women. Baldness in men is widely accepted but because of its rarity baldness in women causes a great deal of anxiety. Many women celebrities have opted to shave their heads and baldness has become the preferred choices for some women. Singers Sinead O’Conner, Britney Spears and Meshell Ndegeocello have all opted to shave their heads.
Many celebrities have also lost their hair due to chemotherapy and other treatments. Kylie and Gail Porter are other women that have famously become bald and used their celebrity to try and reduced the stigma attached to female baldness.
Baldness is surrounded by many myths and old wives tales and it can be difficult to differentiate between the fact and fiction. The most common folklore is that bald men are more virile than men with a full complement of hair. This idea has not been fully endorsed by scientists but neither has it been disproved. Scientists agree that baldness is strongly related to the levels of testosterone and DHT in the person. Bald men are therefore more likely to have higher levels of testosterone and as the theory follows that they therefore have a greater sex drive. However sex drive is determined by a great deal of factors.
Another commonly held belief is that frequent masturbation can cause baldness. Scientists believe that frequent ejaculation can cause a raised or lowered level of plasma testosterone but there is little credible evidence to suggest that this results in baldness. The belief that sexual activity has an effect on the likelihood of becoming bald is viewed with scepticism.
Many believe that sexual frustration can cause baldness. The truth is that stress can be a contributing factor in hair loss and because sex is a recognised method of reducing stress lack of it can result in higher levels of hair loss. Stress related baldness only occurs in genetically susceptible people. The military have conducted tests into the effect of sleep deprivation and have found that it is unlikely to raise the levels of DHT (which causes male pattern baldness). Therefore lack of sleep is not likely to affect the likelihood of becoming bald.