About hair loss

In more than 90% of cases, hair loss is caused by the «androgenic» factor.

What is androgenic alopecia?

It is a form of hair loss that is linked to two factors: a hormonal factor and a hereditary factor.

In this instance, the scalp has a genetic sensitivity to androgens (male hormones, the main one being, in this case, testosterone) and it is therefore a question of predisposition. It is also more commonly known as pattern alopecia or pattern baldness.

Its onset is slow and diffuse. It is directly connected with the male hormones in the blood, but primarily affects the scalp.

In men, the hair bulbs on the frontal and parietal (temple) areas and the crown of the head are the most sensitive to these hormonal disruptions.

Androgenic alopecia was first diagnosed in women some twenty years ago. Since then, it has affected a steadily increasing number of women in whom it primarily results in hair thinning. It is less «spectacular» than in men as it is concentrated at the top of the head or at the parting.

The male body produces androgens in the same way as the female body (twenty times less than in men). These hormones are secreted by the gonads (testicles and ovaries, 40%) and the adrenal glands (60%) and have a number of organic functions, but for both sexes, and if there is a genetic sensitivity, they accelerate and shorten the lifespan of hair follicles.

In the case of genetic hypersensitivity, hair becomes increasingly thin and short. The exhausted hair bulbs then shrink and produce just a fine down, leading to baldness.

Family histories are an essential factor in determining androgenic alopecia.