Hair loss is experienced in stages that have been defined on the Hamilton Norwood scale of baldness.
As you can see, hair loss in the crown begins at around level 3. And it is accompanied by hairline recession as well. The balding area on the crown continues to expand. Eventually, the individual reaches a state of severe baldness.
image from www.americanhairloss.org
These patterns are indicative of pattern baldness which is due to genetics. Affected individuals will have DNA that codes for weak protein receptors that do a poor job of defending the hair follicles against the damages of dehydrotestosterone (DHT). As a result, they shrink.
Hair loss in the crown usually runs in families. And the genetics can come from either the mother or the father’s side
Hair Loss
About ninety-five percent of baldness in men is androgenic alopecia, pattern baldness. By the age of 35, two-thirds will suffer from male pattern baldness, and by the age of 50 this percentage will rise to about 85%. Men suffer from hair loss at an earlier age than women. Women suffer from pattern baldness, but fifty percent of women over the age of 40 notice some degree of hair loss. Also, hair loss manifests differently among men and women. Men tend to lose their hair around the temple points and hairline, whereas women notice thinness across the top of the scalp. There are temporary causes that are predominantly seen in women, and not so much in men.
The Difference Of Hair Loss
Women’s hair loss manifests throughout the entire scalp, more often seen across the top of the scalp. The cause of hair loss for women has less to do with genetics and more to do with hormonal changes and aging. Also, some temporary causes of hair loss in women are, severe stress, sleep deprivation, drug use, malnourishment, iron deficiency, pregnancy and untreated hypothyroidism.
Men’s hair loss can occur as early as before the age of 21. The permanent genetic condition gets carried down from the parent to offspring through the X chromosome. Generally, men can tell whether or not they will experience hair loss by looking at their ancestry. It is not a guarantee, but is a likely cause. Often men turn to solutions before undergoing a hair transplant.