Male Pattern Baldness: Androgenic Alopecia

You have definitely noticed male pattern baldness, also known as Androgenic Alopecia. In fact if you think back on some of the older gentlemen you know, the odds are you can think of quite a few who are completely bald, or at least partially there. Most men accept it as fate that they are going to be bald when they get older. The fact of the matter is that male pattern baldness, also known as Androgenic Alopecia, can occur as early as the beginning of puberty for some boys. When you take this factor into consideration it is easy to see why some men, or older teens, would want to gather as much information as possible about this disorder so that they can better prepare for how to deal with this issue.

In order to understand male pattern baldness, you need to understand things such as how hair is formed and grows, how often male pattern baldness occurs, why it occurs, and what can be done about it. When the facts are examined closely it is clear that there are ways that you can get the information that you need to properly deal with this situation, no matter how old you might be.

Male Pattern Baldness DNA Test

Because of the genetic nature of male pattern baldness or Androgenic Alopecia, it is exciting to know that there is actually a way to determine if you carry the gene for this disorder, and it has proven useful time and time again. The way that it works is simple, first a cheek swab is done by a doctor or other trained specialist, then the swab is sent to a lab where it is analysed by an experience team, finally the results are noted and made available for you to view.

The DNA test is designed to look for the Androgen Receptor gene, which is responsible for male pattern baldness. Furthermore, the test can examine whether or not there are similarities between certain genetic variants on the 20th chromosome. These similarities have been discovered on nearly 95% of men who are bald or balding.  The best part about this test is once you are aware of whether or not you carry these genes you can better prepare for male pattern baldness, and with the help of a professional you may be able to lessen the impact or curb the effects of this genetic disorder.

Androgenic Alopeci with a BritishDNA Test

Wondering how much hair you will have lost by age 50 or age 70? 80% of male hair loss is down to genetic factors. The BritishDNA test examines your genotype to establish just how much hair you will have lost by a given time in your life and explain the link between baldness and genes. Knowing what the future may hold helps you make better life choices and be prepared. Whilst baldness is not a concern for women, our test will establish the baldness risk a mother has passed on to her son. However, this test is made up of a number of results, with baldness DNA testing just being one part of the test. The other parts include the blue eyes gene and your maternal lineage. Read more about our British DNA test  and find out if this test is just what you need.

A Brief Summary About Hair

You should learn a few thing about hair growth and composition to understand One of the first steps to figuring out what you can do about your baldness is learning more about the hair that you are losing.  Hair is made up of keratin, which is formed in your follicles all over your body. Essentially, all hair is dead because it is the build-up of keratin. The average rate that hair cells grow is approximately 6 inches a year. You obviously are going to lose some hair every day, but when it starts becoming a daily occurrence, and there is a lot of hair being lost, there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

Hair typically has three different growth cycles; these different cycles include:

  • Anagen
  • Catagen
  • Telogen

The first phase, anagen, is the time where hair grows in an active manner. The second, catagen, is characterized as a tranisitional phase which is much shorter than the other two. This is the “transitional” stage between active hair growth, and inactive hair growth. Finally, you have telogen, which is when the hair rests and is eventually shed from the body.

What is Androgenic Alopecia AKA Male Pattern Baldness

When you hear someone referring to “male pattern baldness”, what they are actually referring to is Androgenic Alopecia. Scientifically, Androgenic Alopecia is a genetic disorder that affects nearly 80% of the male population. In fact, about one third of all men will experience hair thinning due to Androgenic Alopecia by the time they are forty years old.

This particular genetic disorder can also affect males who are much younger, some while they are still in high school. There are a couple of key traits that are associated with the onset of Androgenic Alopecia and they are:

  • Thinning hair around the crown of the head
  • Receding hairline
  • Overall loss of hair in unusual amounts on the head

The fact of the matter is this genetic disease can be troublesome for young men and middle aged men alike. There are a whole host of treatments for this disorder. Hair transplants have become more common than ever before, plus there are a whole host of creams, foams, gels, and solutions that promise to bring hair back to its rightful place on the head.

Some of these methods are more efficient than others, but wouldn’t it be interesting to know that there is a test that can determine whether or not you carry the baldness gene? Well as a matter of fact, this test is real and has proven to be effective in the past.

Male Pattern Baldness DNA Test

Because of the genetic nature of male pattern baldness or Androgenic Alopecia, it is exciting to know that there is actually a way to determine if you carry the gene for this disorder, and it has proven useful time and time again. The way that it works is simple, first a cheek swab is done by a doctor or other trained specialist, then the swab is sent to a lab where it is examined by an experience team, finally the results are noted and made available for you to view.

The baldness DNA test is designed to look for the Androgen Receptor gene, which is responsible for male pattern baldness. Furthermore, the test can examine whether or not there are similarities between certain genetic variants on the 20th chromosome. These similarities have been discovered on nearly 95% of men who are bald or balding.  The best part about this test is once you are aware of whether or not you carry these genes you can better prepare for male pattern baldness, and with the help of a professional you may be able to lessen the impact or curb the effects of this genetic disorder.