Balding...., blame Mom!

[sam-]

May 21, 2005:
Men inherit baldness from their mothers, according to the latest genetics research from Germany. The work implies that you shouldn't worry too much about a thinning pate just because dear old Dad is losing his hair, but watch out if your maternal grandfather is bald.

The male sex hormones really do seem to play a decisive role in causing hair loss in men. This has been confirmed by scientists from the universities of Bonn and Düsseldorf. Their studies show that specific changes in the genetic `construction manual' of the androgen receptor may result in premature balding.

Androgens are hormones that play an important part in the development of the male sex. The affected gene lies on the X chromosome; men inherit the defect therefore from their mother - supporting the widespread assumption that as far as hair loss is concerned, men take after their maternal grandfather rather than their father. The results will be published in the July edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics.

http://www.sciscoop.com/story/2005/5/20/6373/20386
:study:

 

[misterium]

My mom's father, my grandfather, had the typical horseshoe baldness, slick all the way on top.

He started losing his hair probably around age 20. Same goes for his son (my uncle).

I, on the other hand, am 27 and still have lots of hair. I started thinning on the crown/vertex about 1 1/2 years ago and hopped on finasteride almost a year ago.

 

[Trent]

as one might of guessed, nothing is 100 percent. my grandfather mom's side with a pretty damn full head at 55, and all my uncles on that side have full heads of hair, and here's me :-(

 

[wangho75]

both my grandfathers were 80 when they died and BOTH had FULL heads of hair, no balding at all..

 

[chewbaca]

Irs not the full artivcle:

Men inherit baldness from their mothers, according to the latest genetics research from Germany. The work implies that you shouldn't worry too much about a thinning pate just because dear old Dad is losing his hair, but watch out if your maternal grandfather is bald.

The male sex hormones really do seem to play a decisive role in causing hair loss in men. This has been confirmed by scientists from the universities of Bonn and Düsseldorf. Their studies show that specific changes in the genetic `construction manual' of the androgen receptor may result in premature balding.

Androgens are hormones that play an important part in the development of the male sex. The affected gene lies on the X chromosome; men inherit the defect therefore from their mother - supporting the widespread assumption that as far as hair loss is concerned, men take after their maternal grandfather rather than their father. The results will be published in the July edition of the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Baldness [which is definitely very sexy and a true sign of virility] begins with receding hairlines, the forehead becomes higher, the hair at the back of a man's head gets thinner and thinner...often reappearing, mysteriously, on the back, shoulders, chest, anywhere but the top of the head.

One in two men suffers from some degree of hair loss in their lives. There are no truly successful counter-measures, despite the claims of Reg Dwight's medical associates, although there are hundreds of obscure lotions, tinctures, sprays, and surgical procedures.

It has long been suspected that hereditary factors are important in causing hair loss. However, until now it was unclear which genes are involved. The researchers in the team headed by Markus Nöthen of the Life & Brain Centre of the Bonn University Clinic and Roland Kruse of the Skin Clinic of Düsseldorf University Clinic have discovered one of the factors responsible.

For several years the researchers had searched nationwide for families in which several men were affected by hair loss. In blood samples taken from volunteers they then looked for candidate genes - and eventually discovered them: in their initial step they succeeded in narrowing down the search to a series of areas on various chromosomes. In an area where the largest contribution was suspected lay the gene for the androgen receptor. "One variant of this gene was found among men who suffered from premature balding at a very early stage very much more often than among men who still had a full head of hair when over 60," Nöthen explains.

The genetic variant presumably results in more androgen receptors in the scalp. "Our findings permit two explanations," Axel Hillmer from Nöthen's team explains. "Either more androgen receptors are formed among the men affected, or the variant of the receptor which develops as a result of the genetic change is more stable and is not broken down so quickly. Both mechanisms can lead to the effect of the androgens becoming greater, which in turn brings about hair loss."

The findings are also of interest in explaining the tendency to baldness is inherited. The gene for the androgen receptor lies on the X chromosome. Men always inherit the X chromosome from their mother. In many cases men therefore take after their grandfather on their mother's side rather than their father. However, this defect is not simply caused by one gene: "We have indications that other genes are involved which are independent of the parents' sex," Nöthen stresses. The hereditary defect can therefore sometimes also be passed on directly from father to son.

SOURCE: Adapted from an AlphaGalileo Press Release by David Bradley Science Writer

 

[arjun17]

If what this article says is true, i'm done for ;

My dad's side of the family has very little hairloss. But my maternal
grandfather is NW6. Then again, his son (my uncle) is also NW5, heading to NW6 , but HIS (my uncle's ) maternal grandfather (my great-grandfather on my maternal grandmother's side) had a full head of hair throughout life. My uncle has taken after his father in terms of hairloss. That (and many other cases) proves that it is just as possible to inherit baldness from the father as from the mother. Its
a matter of chance - if you look at a fairly common circumstance (two or more brothers in a family where the maternal grandfather is bald and the father is'nt or vice versa , some brothers will be bald, others won't.
Cheers,
Arjun

 

[chewbaca]

My maternal grandfather isnt bald but had a receding harline at the temples but my maternal uncles have some degree of balding but not complete. Furthermore it started late in life for them..

 

[Slartibartfast]

"One in two men suffers from some degree of hair loss in their lives. There are no truly successful counter-measures, despite the claims of Reg Dwight's medical associates, although there are hundreds of obscure lotions, tinctures, sprays, and surgical procedures."

Damn. If only there was some sort of widely known tablet we could take. Just have to keep on with the hundreds of obscure lotions, tinctures, sprays, etc.

 

[Guest]

My grandad was as bald as a coot. From what I remember Norwood 2000

 

[CauseForConcern]

Both grandfathers aswell both died with full heads of hair and i have pictures of them in their 50's with great hair ensativo: i just dont get it.

 

[chewbaca]

Both grandfathers aswell both died with full heads of hair and i have pictures of them in their 50's with great hair ensativo: i just dont get it.

DOnt fret pal, if u ar en your 20s now. maybe
u will maiantain with the same Norwood scale for another 10-15 years.