Pattern baldness is a type of alopecia that affects men and women, it is called Androgenetic Alopecia. This condition causes hair loss. In the United States alone an average of 50 million men and 30 million women suffer from pattern baldness by the time they are 50, but it can begin as early as your teenage years. There is no definitive reason to why people suffer from pattern baldness. Sometimes it may be due to genetics or hormonal changes for all sexes, it can also be triggered by medications, stress and diet deficiencies.
Male Pattern Baldness
Male pattern baldness is where a man’s hair will begin to thin and recede. The hair loss usually begins by receding from the above the temples creating an ‘M’ shape and the crown will also begin to thin. Male pattern hair loss is usually determined by the Norwood scale, this helps classify the stages of male pattern baldness on a scale of 1 to 7. People experiencing male pattern baldness tend to lose hair in one of a few specific ways, and the Norwood scale also helps identify the progression of these patterns of hair loss. Some conditions that lead to male pattern baldness are coronary heart disease, enlargement of the prostate, prostate cancer, insulin disorders and high blood pressure. Scientists are still not sure why these conditions can contribute to male pattern baldness.
Female Pattern Baldness
Females pattern baldness more commonly begins by the hair thinning across the whole head. Women do not usually experience receding and female pattern hair loss rarely leads to full baldness. Some conditions that can lead to female pattern baldness are childbirth, menopause and polycystic ovary syndrome. All these conditions are hormone related and cause a hormonal imbalance.
Is There A Cure?
Unfortunately there is no cure for hair loss. Unless the hair loss is caused by something you can stop such as medication or diet deficiency then it is unknown whether the hair will ever grow back. Many people opt for a hair transplant, although they do show some results it is still a very invasive surgical procedure that leaves extensive scarring.
A solution to pattern baldness for males or females is scalp micropigmentation. This non-invasive, non-surgical procedure gives guaranteed results. This does not cure hair loss but instead a cosmetic machine implants pigment into the scalp. Men usually get a full head treatment, the pigment replicates hair follicles creating a full shaved head look. For women with thinning hair scalp micropigmentation can be deposited in between the hairs the reduce the contrast between hair and skin, making the hair look thicker.
