Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss and is commonly referred to as male pattern baldness. Only 2% of men experience hair loss from a cause other than androgenetic alopecia. Those afflicted with the disorder cannot effect the rate at which they lose their hair. There are no dietary practices or life style changes that will cure or treat the disorder. Hair transplantation may be an excellent option for men experiencing androgenetic alopecia.
Androgenetic alopecia usually effects men over the age of 25 and is characterised by a progression of hair loss that eventually results in a horseshoe shaped patch of hair around the back of the cranium with total balding of the front and crown of the head.
There are two patterns of androgenetic alopecia, but over time both patterns result in the same horseshoe pattern of hair. The hair loss may begin along the hairline and move backwards. This is usually referred to as a receding hairline. The hair loss may also begin at the crown of the head and move forwards. This results in a circular patch of baldness that gets larger as the condition progresses. Both patterns of balding eventually leave only the hair around the back and sides of the head intact. In many men, both patterns of balding occur simultaneously.