Types of hair loss: Androgenetic alopecia

Since many cases of hair loss have different causes, there are various types of treatment available. The American Hair Loss Association cites hundreds of diseases that include hair loss as a symptom. The most common hair loss cause is androgenetic alopecia, more commonly known as male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness. This type of alopecia makes up about 95 percent of all alopecia cases. 

Male pattern baldness
Despite many misconceptions about androgenetic alopecia, it's not something caused by wearing a hat too often or from washing your hair and shampooing too often. It's caused by genetics. While many believe you inherit this type of baldness from just your mother's side, the truth is that you can inherit it from either side of your family, making it more difficult to predict. 

"Surgical treatments for hair loss can return natural hair."

Who is at risk?
Androgenetic alopecia is not something that only affects older men. According to WebMD, two out of every three men will have some degree of hair loss by age 35. A quarter of all men who suffer from male pattern baldness will begin to experience thinning hair by age 21. The thinning usually begins at the temples and the crown of the scalp. Over time, the bald spots around the temples can connect to the bald spot on the crown. 

By the time they're 50 years old, 85 percent of all men will have significantly thinning hair. Unfortunately, male pattern baldness can affect most men, and impact the quality of their lives. Thankfully, there are treatments that can help bring back natural hair. 

Treatments
There are a number of drugs that a doctor can prescribe that may halt or prevent hair loss. In addition, surgical treatments for hair loss such as FUE can return natural hair to balding scalps by extracting individual hair follicles and transplanting them on the bald spots. This state-of-the-art procedure can return real, natural hair to bald scalps, with a very short recovery time. In other good news, the number of researchers who are exploring treatments for male pattern baldness has increased dramatically in recent years, leading to hope that even more treatment options are on the way. 

If you're suffering from androgenetic alopecia and you'd like to learn more about hair replacement treatments on Long Island, schedule an appointment with Marotta Hair Restoration today! Dr. Marotta is a dual-board certified facial plastic surgeon with expertise in various medical treatments for hair loss. Visit our website to learn more about the hair restoration treatments we offer.