What is hormonal hair loss?
Everyone who has hair also loses some, every day. Hair grows, is shed, emerges anew. Only when this normal process causes you to lose more than 100 hairs a day do doctors speak of hair loss.
Hair loss is also known as alopecia (Latin for alopecia). Hormonal hair loss occurs when certain male hormones (androgens) become active in the body. This is why the medical term for hormone-induced hair loss is alopecia androgenetica (APA). As the predisposition to APA is inherited, it is also referred to as hereditary or congenital hair loss.
Alopecia androgenetica is not a hormonal disease: hereditary hair loss is not caused by an excess of hormones. Rather, the cause lies in hair roots that react sensitively to hormones.
Hormonal hair loss is very common in men. It is not regarded as an illness in the narrower sense. While around one in two men in Switzerland and the rest of Europe is affected by hormonal alopecia by the age of 60, only around one in five women experience this form of hair loss.
Hormonal hair loss: What are the causes?
If you suffer from hormonal hair loss, certain cells on your head are hypersensitive to the male sex hormone testosterone. It is also produced in smaller quantities in the female organism. A derivative of this hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) causes the hair roots (follicles) to shrink. This causes their blood vessels to shrink, which means that the follicles are no longer sufficiently supplied with nutrients. They die off, the hair becomes thinner and falls out.
Hypersensitivity of the hair roots is inherited. Researchers have identified a number of genes that are involved in congenital hair loss. One of the main genes responsible is the androgen receptor gene. However, genes and male sex hormones are not the only factors involved in the development of androgenetic alopecia. Many other factors come into play. For example, the hormone melatonin, which controls our sleep-wake rhythm, also plays a role.
What are the symptoms of hormonal hair loss?
Men with hormone-induced hair loss almost always lose their hair first in the area of the temples and forehead – this is where “receding hairlines” form. The next stage is often a bald forehead. In the end, some men are left with a crown of hair at the back of their head or a completely bald head.
In women, hereditary hair loss is more likely to occur in the area of the middle parting. The female form of alopecia androgenetica (APA) rarely ends in complete hair loss. Many women affected by APA have a lot of hair on certain parts of their body (lower legs, toes, face).
Prognosis: How does hormonal hair loss progress?
Hormonal hair loss can start at any time after puberty. It is not possible to predict how hair loss will progress in the following years of life. There are men who only show signs of hereditary alopecia at the age of 30. Others are already bald at this age. An early onset of hormone-induced hair loss can indicate a severe course of alopecia – however, the extent and end of the condition remain uncertain in individual cases.
If you want to influence the course of your hereditary hair loss, you should be critical when choosing your remedies. Hair tonics, tinctures, shampoos and other cosmetic products usually do not bring back the hair fullness you had hoped for. Scientific studies show: Drugs are most likely to provide effective help against alopecia androgenetica.
Therapy: How is hormonal hair loss treated?
Your doctor knows various active ingredients that can be used to treat hereditary hair loss. However, some can also have significant side effects. It is best to discuss this with your doctor:
The first treatment successes – stopped hair loss or even new hair growth – only become apparent after weeks or months with these active ingredients. Another thing the drugs have in common is that once you start treatment, you should continue it without interruption as long-term therapy. This is because as soon as you stop taking your medication, you must expect hormonal hair loss to resume.
