Is Race and male pattern baldness linked?

[Hope4hair]

It seems Western Caucasian males are more likely to have male pattern baldness than other races.

We know that several factors may play a part in male pattern baldness, genetic factors, enviroment, diet, stress etc. It would surely be interesting to do a large study comparing the lifestyles of men in countries where there is a lower rate of male pattern baldness to a country/group of men that do(taking into account race, and other factors).

Does anyone have any opinion as to whether genes and race are intrinsically linked? If they are than perhaps white males are more likely to go bald than any other race?

Or is this down to enviromental factors of a western lifestlye? Or both?

Essentially the possible reasons for male pattern baldness are endless and vast and although it is worthwhile to probe into these reasons, I believe it would be most wise for our attention to be on the hope of a cure more so than anything else. It is also important to make clear that male pattern baldness is obvoiusly indiscriminate in humans, and anyone of any colour can have it - however Western Caucasian men seem to be more susceptible to male pattern baldness than any other racial group.

To conclude however, my main questions are 'is there is a relationship between one's race and the correlation with male pattern baldness?' And further 'whether or not genes and race are linked, and if they are, are Caucasian males as a race doomed to a greater chance of male pattern baldness anyway, without taking into consideration other factors?'

 

[Anarch]

I disagree with the premise. You might think that because that's the circle of friends and associates you hang out with. I'm asian and it runs in the fam. This phenomenon isn't race specific, but I think cultures do play a part in it.

 

[barcafan]

Whites have a way higher propensity to lose their hair than any other races. Blacks, hispanics and asians have lower incidence of balding, FROM WHAT I OBSERVE in general.

 

[Hope4hair]

Anarch, thats a worthy point. I'm not dismissing that perhaps my belief that Caucasian males seem to suffer from male pattern baldness more so than other racial groups could be due to the fact that most of my friends are predominately Caucasian.

However - although my group of friends are mostly Caucasian I live in a very multicultural/multi-racial society. There are many Asians where I live as well as there are black people and other races. Most of the asians here are from places like India and Pakistan. Nearly all of these guys I see about, friends that I have, all the people that I walk past, there seems to be a much lower rate, in fact I barely see anyone asian with male pattern baldness. This also accounts for oriental guys as well.

Although you do see some - it is rare and most of the asian guys and black guys around here seem to have a full head of hair. I suppose one could argue that my premise is invalid as I am at a university, and most people I am talking about are young males, around the ages of 18 to 23. So perhaps I am not seeing the full picture, perhaps Caucasains are simply likely to have earlier MBP onset - I can only guess.

However, in the same age group I seem to see many more Caucasain males with receding hair lines. Friends, people on the street, and so on, many more. Futhermore I have been to quite a few countries and continents around the world - I have encountered many different racial groups and cultures. I have to say that places where different races dominate like Africa, or Asia, I have encountered far less male pattern baldness. In India for example where I was recently, I saw very little male pattern baldness. In Thialand this was also a similar case.

Having said all this, the traditions and lifestlyes of these different cultures and countries vary, so perhaps it may be that external factors play a larger role than race. Yet, going back to my first point - it seems that non Caucasian people living in my country , England, a farily multicultural/multi-racial country are far less likely to go bald, the evidence is everywhere. Asian Guys and black guys being a good example- they all seem to suffer less from it compared to white guys.

It would be interesting to see some statistics on the matter, which would provide a clearer picture of whether race is linked to male pattern baldness - which in my opinion, is , although other factors definately play a part.

 

[Anarch]

Interesting, but not scientific. Like I said, cultures and regions seem to play a larger role. But I'm not being scientific either. I tend to look at the foods people eat, how they play, how they work, how they're socialized into life, etc.. :dunno: Keep theorizing. Maybe you'll come up with a breakthrough.

 

[fromchicago]

absolutely. how many bald native americans do you see? or mexicans? the whiter the mexican (spanish decent vs native), the more likely he'll be balding.

 

[Hope4hair]

Anarch - yes, my observations are not scientifically tested. Nonetheless I believe that observations still have a strong place in working out problems, in science, and in psychology and so on. It would probably not take to much to devise a study, or a data collection to test my hypothesis that Causcasian men are more more prone to male pattern baldness. You say that culture and region plays a part. I agree. However my observations are that even males of Asian origin who live in the same culture as the white male, who lives in a similar way, who follows a similar diet - still has less chance of going bald - which is the intriguing factor - although as you correctly said my observations are unscientific and may have many faults.

I also believe that diet is a very important factor in relation to male pattern baldness. I myself follow a Macrobiotic diet, which is a philosophy as opposed to a nutritional theory. Macrobiotics is based on the natural law of polarity, also known the law of opposites, and as Ying and Yang in Asia. It has its roots in Oriental culture, however many millions of people across the world have lived in a simple way similar to that of the Macrobiotic Philosophy. For many thousands of years a vast fraction of the worlds population lived in accordance with nature, eating what was around them, in their local climate and so on, thus correctly balancing themselves and avoiding disease. From a macrobiotic perspective, disease is happens when the body is out of balance, and is thus, unnessecery if one is aware of the universal principle.

Without trying to go to far off topic, from a Macrobiotic perspective, baldness is caused by a yin condition where there istoo much acid in the body, which is caused by eating to much sugary foods, alcohol, fast food and so on. So I for one, am sure that diet plays a vital part in human nature, and it must therefore play a part in baldness.

Perhaps one reason why the Western Caucasian male is more likely to go bald then others is because he has a very poor, yin, acidic diet.
Although this is likely, other factors must play a role. Also there are many Caucasians who seem to eat very poorly, who have very poor diets and yet don’t go bald - however I am sure there is a correlation. When looking at countries where far less males go bald, perhaps they have a much better diet then our Western one?

 

[Sorue]

I definitely believe so. But i suspect it might be due to dietary habits than race per se. I'm an asian in an asian country and i totally agree with you that there's much lesser balding in young asian guys compared to the west. But towards the 40 yr old mark, the gap is quite close.
Asians typically don't have so much processed food in their diet... might that be one of the reasons? We don't know.
Look at the japanese for instance; not many young men there suffer from male pattern baldness.

 

[Night]

absolutely. how many bald native americans do you see? or mexicans? the whiter the mexican (spanish decent vs native), the more likely he'll be balding.

I'm Mexican and yes Spanish decent :/

 

[lovemyhair]

Arrghh! I'm asian and experienced balding at much the same time as my white friends.

 

[Hammer87]

Was in Chinatown yesturday, saw loads of balding Chinese men.

Was in China in the summer, didn't see a single one under the age of 30-35.

Make of that what you will.