Question: Could my hair loss be genetic even though none of my grandparents are bald?
Name: Grant
Question: Is there a formal test for (genetic) DHT?
I have been experiencing some degree of hair loss over the last 1.5 - 2 years. I am now in my mid-20s and was particularly put out by this as there is no baldness on either side of my family - certainly not at this age. (Father, Grandfathers, uncles, etc all pretty much have a full head of hair into their 60s and over). I did go through a period of high stress during this time, but I still noticed that my hair has been thinning in the typical male pattern (temples and crown).
My question is therefore: Is it possible to test whether I am genetically disposed to DHT?
I just wish to ascertain whether it was really the stress which has caused my hairloss? Or perhaps I am just unlucky and a gene, which has lain dormant for the past 3 generations, has decided to express itself?
Answer: The best way to self-diagnose Male Pattern Hair Loss is by observing the area of hair loss. As you say the thinning is taking place at the temples and crown it sounds like the condition is genetic. It’s difficult to say for sure without having an examination carried out but it’s most likely Male Pattern Hair Loss. Remember that it’s possible for stress to trigger genetic hair loss so you condition could have originally been set-off by the stress you experienced but continued once the stress passed.
It’s possible for the hair loss gene to skip a generation or two, or be carried by a woman without affecting her as it would a man, so there are many reasons your grandparents may not have seemed to be affected by the genetic hair loss.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 at 5:49 pm and is filed under hairlossANSWERS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
