Is There An Autoimmune Connection To Male Pattern Baldness?

[MKP05]

For the last 20 years I’ve had alopecia areata (an autoimmune disorder which causes patchy hairloss on the scalp). For the last 10 years I was in complete remission. In February/March I developed a large circular patch of alopecia hair loss on the back of my head near my neck. It eventually grew to four inches in diameter. In April I started treating it (as I’ve always done) by getting injections of corticosteroids, plus clobetasol topical .05%. In May, one month into my treatment, my hairline started receeding rapidly. In the last 3 months I’ve lost about an inch of hair at both temples with thinning a half an inch beyond that. My forelock has receded in millimeters but there is an inch of very bad thinning from the top of the hairline. Prior to this I was a Norwood 1.5 with thick thick hair. I was never concerned with male pattern baldness but assumed my hairline would slowly mature as it had my whole life. In addition to the rapid receeding my hair feels dead all over.

So my question is this. Have there been any links to autoimmune disorders and male pattern baldness? Or is it possible the treatment triggered something?

At 45 years old I find it highly unusual that my hairline began thinning this quickly just two months after my latest AA flare up and one month after treatment started.

As a side note my large AA patch is growing back in slowly. So, in the greatest of ironies, I’m growing hair on my large AA patch on the back of my head while I’m losing hair at the front. It feels like a sick joke. I have to think either my autoimmune disorder or my treatment of that disorder triggered my male pattern baldness into turbo mode but I just don’t know. Jumped on the big 3 in July but feeling very frustrated and depressed right now.

 

[Faizan Ali]

I have only heard about auto immune hairloss in case of chemo therapies or if you implant somebody else’s hair

 

[Vince_Reagan]

There is definitely a relation of AA (auto immune) and Male pattern baldness which doctors haven't been able to discover yet. Same story, though I am half of your age. The worst for me, the hair isn't filling back in the patch at the back and also losing from the front. I have came across 10 more people with the same case. This can not be a coincidence.

On a side note, it is highly unlikely that the treatments to AA triggers male pattern baldness because I haven't took any treatments for the AA but still got affected by male pattern baldness.

 

[Faizan Ali]

The male pattern baldness you are suffering is mostly genetic which involves DHT hormone shrinking your hair follices, there is not a permanent solution to this problem you just have to use treatments orally and topically to preserve your hair until a more well established treatment arrives or you opt for a hair transplant

 

[abcdefg]

It seems to be linked, but no one understands any of it. The immune system is one of the most dangerous things to tinker with, and so its poorly understood how it relates to everything else.
If the immune system was not connected to male pattern baldness then why does cyclosporine cause huge dramatic hair regrowth? We are talking regrowing multiple norwoods of hair making minoxidil look like a joke. There is a large auto immune part of it but in reality it might be something happening deeper causing this like WNT pathway or any number of pathways that triggers the immune response. We dont know.
The older you are the faster you go bald. The same amount of androgens causes baldness much faster the older they are. Why the different reactions we dont know.

 

[Dehydrotestostewronged]

I think technically derma rolling should count as an auto-immune treatment. It's based off the wound recovery process and in my experience does work. Ive created vellus hairs on decade long slick bald parts of my temples. Time will tell if they become fully terminal.

 

[Faizan Ali]

I think technically derma rolling should count as an auto-immune treatment. It's based off the wound recovery process and in my experience does work. Ive created vellus hairs on decade long slick bald parts of my temples. Time will tell if they become fully terminal.

What is the frequency of your usage? And are you sure that these results are not due to finasteride usage

 

[itsjustsimon]

Has anyone thought about trying Methylprednisolone or any other immune suppressant to decrease inflammation? My mother is taking it ( she says along the lines it's for the hair ) for over 20 years now and she seems healthy...

 

[Faizan Ali]

Has anyone thought about trying Methylprednisolone or any other immune suppressant to decrease inflammation? My mother is taking it ( she says along the lines it's for the hair ) for over 20 years now and she seems healthy...

You should consult a physician before taking any type of these drugs

 

[Retinoid]

Has anyone thought about trying Methylprednisolone or any other immune suppressant to decrease inflammation? My mother is taking it ( she says along the lines it's for the hair ) for over 20 years now and she seems healthy...

No

 

[Retinoid]

There is an immune reaction to male pattern baldness but it is a different pathway than areta. In male pattern baldness high Androgen activity in the follicles seem to cause a molecular cascade that includes immune reactions.

 

[itsjustsimon]

There is an immune reaction to male pattern baldness but it is a different pathway than areta. In male pattern baldness high Androgen activity in the follicles seem to cause a molecular cascade that includes immune reactions.

So if I understand you correctly, immune reaction when dealing with Androgenetic Alopecia is more local on the scalp and with Methylprednisolone you're suppressing your immune system systemically?

 

[Dehydrotestostewronged]

What is the frequency of your usage? And are you sure that these results are not due to finasteride usage

nizoral 2-3X a week,
minoxidil twice a day (was sometimes just once a day)
1mg finasteride
derma rolling twice a week.

Am I sure the results of temple follicle regeneration (as well as vertex) is due to micro needling as opposed to the other parts of my approach? No. But I'm extremely skeptical that Id be seeing temple regrowth without derma rolling. I do believe this is the key to recovering from slick bald areas.

 

[Faizan Ali]

nizoral 2-3X a week,
minoxidil twice a day (was sometimes just once a day)
1mg finasteride
derma rolling twice a week.

Am I sure the results of temple follicle regeneration (as well as vertex) is due to micro needling as opposed to the other parts of my approach? No. But I'm extremely skeptical that Id be seeing temple regrowth without derma rolling. I do believe this is the key to recovering from slick bald areas.

Good for you man btw what is your current position on the Norwood scale?

 

[Retinoid]

So if I understand you correctly, immune reaction when dealing with Androgenetic Alopecia is more local on the scalp and with Methylprednisolone you're suppressing your immune system systemically?

Suppressing your immune system for male pattern baldness is like using a nuclear weapon to arrest someone for jaywalking.

 

[Dehydrotestostewronged]

Good for you man btw what is your current position on the Norwood scale?

Probably either like a 3.5V - 4V. It's hard to say off those crude norwood scale pictures.

 

[itsjustsimon]

Suppressing your immune system for male pattern baldness is like using a nuclear weapon to arrest someone for jaywalking.

Yeah, it's hardcore I agree, but as I said, my mother is fine and is probably 20 years on this sh*t.

 

[itsjustsimon]

nizoral 2-3X a week,
minoxidil twice a day (was sometimes just once a day)
1mg finasteride
derma rolling twice a week.

Am I sure the results of temple follicle regeneration (as well as vertex) is due to micro needling as opposed to the other parts of my approach? No. But I'm extremely skeptical that Id be seeing temple regrowth without derma rolling. I do believe this is the key to recovering from slick bald areas.

What's the length of the needles you are using?

 

[Retinoid]

Yeah, it's hardcore I agree, but as I said, my mother is fine and is probably 20 years on this sh*t.

Maybe she is fine on the outside.

 

[MKP05]

There is definitely a relation of AA (auto immune) and Male pattern baldness which doctors haven't been able to discover yet. Same story, though I am half of your age. The worst for me, the hair isn't filling back in the patch at the back and also losing from the front. I have came across 10 more people with the same case. This can not be a coincidence.

On a side note, it is highly unlikely that the treatments to AA triggers male pattern baldness because I haven't took any treatments for the AA but still got affected by male pattern baldness.

There is definitely a relation of AA (auto immune) and Male pattern baldness which doctors haven't been able to discover yet. Same story, though I am half of your age. The worst for me, the hair isn't filling back in the patch at the back and also losing from the front. I have came across 10 more people with the same case. This can not be a coincidence.

On a side note, it is highly unlikely that the treatments to AA triggers male pattern baldness because I haven't took any treatments for the AA but still got affected by male pattern baldness.

Why don’t you try treating your AA? Steroid Injections can be very effective and can result in positive regrowth in a matter of a few months. I’ve attatched a couple of before and after photos. The regrowth picture was taken about a month ago so it’s even more filled in now. Worth a shot.