Causes For Hair Loss

"You inherit baldness from your mother's father"

Previously, early hair loss of the androgenic type was thought to be sex linked dominant in males and to be sex linked recessive in females. Research suggests that the gene for the androgen receptor, which is significant in determining probability for hair loss, is located on the X chromosome and so is always inherited from the mother's side. There is a 50% chance that a person shares the same X chromosome as their maternal grandfather. Because women have two X chromosomes, they have two copies of the androgen receptor gene while men only have one. However research has also shown that a person with a balding father also has a significantly greater chance of experiencing hair loss.

"Baldness can be caused by emotional stress, sexual frustration etc."

Emotional stress has been shown to accelerate hair loss in genetically susceptible individuals. Stress due to sleep deprivation in some studies, lowered testosterone levels, but is not noted to have effected sex hormone binding gobulin SHBG.

Thus, stress due to sleep deprivation in fit males is unlikely to elevate DHT, which causes male pattern baldness. Whether it can cause hair loss by some other mechanism is not clear.

"Bald men are more "virile" or sexually active than others"

Levels of free testosterone are strongly linked to libido and also DHT levels, but unless free testosterone is virtually non-existent, levels have not been shown to affect virility. Men with androgenic alopecia are more likely to have a higher baseline of free androgens. However sexual activity is multifactoral, and androgenic profile is also not the only determining factor in baldness. Additionally, because hair loss is progressive and free testosterone declines with age, a person's hairline may be more indicative of their past than present disposition.

"Frequent Ejaculation Causes Baldness"

There are many misconceptions about what can help prevent hair loss, one of these being that frequent ejaculation may have an influence on male pattern baldness (MPB). Ejaculation significantly lowers levels of relaxin in a male's body. Depending on frequency, it can raise or lower plasma testosterone. The claim that frequent ejaculations can cause baldness is often viewed with skepticism.

"Standing on One's Head Alleviates Baldness"

The blood-flow theory, which led men to stand on their heads in the 1980s, can be found in the advertising for many of the fake hair loss treatments for sale. While Minoxidil is a vasodilator and is speculated to work, in part by increasing blood flow to hair follicles, there is no evidence that standing on one's head can alleviate baldness.

"Tight Hats Cause Baldness"

This one probably started in the military where young men entering the service were required to wear hats and soon showed signs of going bald, or at least of hair thinning. This is due to coincidental timing. The age that young men enter the military is also the same age that male pattern hair loss begins.

"Shaving hair makes it grow back stronger"

Proposed as a popular remedy against hair loss, it is very probably just an illusion similar to the one perceived after shaving one's beard or mustache. Shaving one's head doesn't increase the number of healthy hair present on the scalp, and after the remaining hair has grown a few millimeters, no enhancement in thickness or overall quality can be observed.