Androgenic alopecia: what is it, causes and treatment

Androgenic alopecia, popularly known as common baldness , is about localized and progressive hair loss . Although both men and women can suffer from it, it is more common for it to occur in men after a certain age, since it is a physiological process. This disorder is the most common form of alopecia and affects 50% of men.

Common baldness can have two patterns of manifestation that differ according to gender. While men lose hair selectively and locally in certain areas, especially frontal and parietal, women lose hair diffusely and the temporal and occipital areas are generally affected.

Androgenic or androgenetic alopecia is mainly due to an increase in androgens , male hormones that act on the scalp and that predispose, genetically, to this disorder.

The appearance of this hair problem can have different origins. Among the most common causes of androgenic or androgenetic alopecia are.

• Age: both men and women tend to lose hair as they get older, so androgenic alopecia can be associated with aging. This happens because as the body ages, the levels of certain hormones vary, including androgens.
• Genetics: this plays a fundamental role in common baldness. There are cases in which due to genetic inheritance this loss happens much earlier than our own because we are older. Therefore, there are people more prone to this type of alopecia, which is part of a physiological process.
• A hormonal imbalance: it is possible not to have the genetic factor and still suffer this type of baldness while still young. This happens when there is a hormonal imbalance that affects the level of androgens and, therefore, these affect the hair. This type of mismatch can occur for many reasons and only a doctor can diagnose it and discern its origin.

Apart from these causative factors of andorgenetic alopecia, there are other causes that cause hair loss :

• Stress: stress and nervousness accelerate the process of hair loss and weakness. In this other FastlyHealarticle you can consult information about hair loss due to stress and its solutions .
• Diet: eating a diet low in minerals and other essential nutrients can lead to hair loss.
• Some medications: certain drug-based treatments such as antidepressants, contraceptives or blood thinners can cause hair loss, especially those that act directly on certain hormones. In addition, there are very aggressive treatments, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy used for cancer, which also weaken the hair fibers and cause baldness.
• Diseases: lupus, syphilis, diabetes, anemia, or hypothyroidism can lead to hair loss.
• Improper use of hair products: Excessive use of shampoos, dryers or too strong treatments, such as excessive discoloration, can also cause hair loss.

Learn more about this hair problem in this other article in which we talk about Alopecia: causes and treatment .

Androgenic alopecia has different degrees of affection (there are 7 degrees according to the Norwood scale) and not everyone experiences it in the same way or reaches the most advanced level of the disorder. However, today technology and medical research have made it possible to address this disorder through solutions that go from medical treatment to hair transplantation . In this sense, the specialists differentiate the treatments for advanced androgenic alopecia with non-advanced ones.

Treatments for non-advanced androgenic alopecia

• Minoxidil: it is a treatment in the form of a solution and serum that helps to stop androgenic alopecia. This solution, recommended for 5% of men and 2% of women, aims to improve the circulation of the follicular units and, therefore, improves their performance. To achieve the desired effect in a month the patient should administer the serum twice a day. Among the side effects, hair can appear all over the body, therefore it is recommended to dilute the solution.
• Finasteride: it is a treatment for hair loss that consists of taking a pill capable of disabling the capacities of the 5-Alpha-Reductase enzymes, which are responsible for converting the hormones that affect the scalp into their aggressive version, which which promotes common baldness. In this sense, the drug has inhibitory effects to prevent androgenic alopecia from progressing, as long as this pill is taken daily. As a counterpoint, this treatment can have certain side effects among men such as erectile dysfunction.
• PRP Therapy: Although it is not yet an FDA approved therapy, it is an innovative treatment proven with success for both non-advanced and advanced alopecia. It consists of injecting Platelet Rich Plasma into the head to help the growth of follicular units. To see its effects, between 1 and 8 sessions a month are necessary for a year, depending on the degree of baldness.

Treatments for advanced alopecia

• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT): it is the oldest technique for the treatment of advanced alopecia. It is a hair transplant in which an androgen-resistant follicular unit is removed and grafted onto the head, affecting the skin of the head, leaving a wound that can become a scar in the long run. Also, and being the oldest method, FUT can cause permanent or temporary nerve damage.
• Follicular Unit Extraction Transplant (FUE): this type of transplant was born in response to the limitation of the FUT and as a technological innovation within the hair transplant sector. It is a technology that collects follicular units through micro punch, and then grafts them in the area affected by alopecia with precision, free of scars and with optimal results.
• Sapphire FUE: it is a variant of the traditional FUE technique where the grafts are extracted in a conventional way but planting improves the results, since more precise sapphire blades are used in the incision of the receiving area.

If you want to consult your case with a specialist doctor to evaluate your situation, give you a diagnosis and offer you an appropriate treatment, we recommend you contact Vera Clinic, since they are pioneers of hair transplantation and the first visit with them is free. Enter here and book your first appointment with Vera Clinic .

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Androgenic Alopecia: what it is, causes and treatment , we recommend that you enter our Skin, hair and nails category .