If the men in your family tend to go bald, then your family may have a genetic predisposition to male pattern baldness. If you have grown up around bald men—or watched as the other men in your family lost their hair, one by one—then you have likely already wondered: will I be next? Or will the baldness skip a generation? If you want to know more about the truth behind the idea that baldness may skip a generation, read on to discover the truth behind male pattern baldness.
Genetic Male or Female Pattern Baldness
Female or male pattern baldness is a genetic condition which can be inherited on either your mother or father's side of the family. Scientifically, however, female and male pattern baldness is primarily carried by the female side of the family, since the primary gene for baldness is on the X chromosome; this means that you are more likely to inherit the male pattern baldness gene from your mother's side of the family.
If you have inherited the trait for female or male pattern baldness, then you may lose your hair. There are currently no definite ways to test whether or not you have inherited this gene, but looking out for signs and symptoms of hair loss can help you diagnose the condition early on.
Early signs of male pattern hair loss include thinning hair in the crown and frontal area of your scalp recession of hair around the temples. Female pattern baldness may present differently than male pattern baldness, with general thinning and particularly thinning around the top of the scalp being more common.
Skipping a Generation: Myth or Fact
There is no scientific basis for the idea that baldness skip generations, regardless of any old wives tales you may have heard from the grapevine. However, there are many reasons why some people in families which carry the genetic trait for baldness do not go bald. A father may go bald while his son does not; or one of his sons may go bald while his two siblings do not.
Trying to determine whether or not baldness will "skip" a generation or a specific person in your family (in this case, you!) is not an exact science. One of the things to consider is whether or not you have inherited the trait from your mother’s side or your father’s side. For example: If you have uncles on your mother’s side of the family who lost their hair, but your own father has not lost his hair, it is likely that you have inherited the gene from your mother’s side of the family. Even though your father did not lose his hair, the presence of the gene from your maternal DNA may cause you to lose your hair as well.
If you believe you have male or female pattern baldness, you should consider your options as early as possible. Look at options such as wigs or even hair replacement therapies that can help you get back your confidence and your look.
For more information, or for a complimentary consultation, contact the hair loss specialists at Hair Replacement Clinic in Dayton, Ohio today.
