The inability of hair to grow out of the scalp skin causes baldness also known as Androgenetic Alopecia (Male/ Female Pattern Baldness):

It’s the most common cause of baldness to date, especially in males. Testosterone, a hormone responsible for masculine features, is also responsible for AGA. It gets converted to DHT, dihydrotestosterone, and binds to hair follicles, arrests their growth, converts them into vellus or baby hairs. This process is known as the miniaturization of hair follicles. The hair falls to grow out of the scalp skin. It’s an ongoing process and can only be halted temporarily with medicines, postponing the development of AGA by a few years.

The pattern, age of onset, rate of progression are genetically determined. Hence no two individuals have identical baldness at the same age. A hair transplant is the only permanent solution to maintain the head full of hair. However, one must understand that a hair transplant will never stop the progression of your baldness, but growing newly implanted hair is the totally bald area. Hence it’s always better to undergo a hair transplant once your baldness becomes stable.

Hairs in the donor/ occipital area are never affected by DHT, hence grows well even when implanted in front areas. DHT has different effects on the hairs of different areas. Hairs in the frontal area are more sensitive to DHT while occipital hair is indifferent to its effects. While beard, mustache, body hair grow thick under its influence and are a characteristic of secondary sexual character.

When to consult a dermatologist:

See your doctor if you are distressed by persistent hair loss and want to pursue treatment. Or if there is sudden patchy hair loss indicating an underlying medical condition.