If your mother’s father went bald, you will too. It has been drummed into men for decades.
But according to a family doctor, it’s just an old wives’ tale.
Dr Sameer Sanghvi of online pharmacy Lloyds is now telling men: ‘It’s time to stop blaming your mum for your baldness.
“The idea that your mother’s genes are responsible for your baldness is a myth.
GP Dr. Sameer Sanghvi says that while a family history of baldness is “the key risk factor” in determining your own fate, it can come from either your maternal or paternal side (file photo)
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“But this is a misconception that many believe.”
He accepted a family history of baldness is “the decisive risk factor” in determining one’s own destiny.
But Dr Sanghvi said it was “only fair to blame both parents,” adding: “It could be maternal or paternal.
“Your chances of losing your hair are determined by a complex combination of genes that can be passed down from either parent.”
Other examples of human characteristics influenced by multiple genes are skin color and height.
While experts insist that maternal genes are not to blame, the science on the subject is not so clear.
A 2017 analysis concluded that the statement was correct.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh studied 52,000 men aged between 40 and 69 who took part in the UK Biobank database.
They found that 80 percent of male pattern baldness is passed down in our genes.
The study suggests that men mostly blame their mothers and not their fathers, since most genetic signals come from the X chromosome, which is inherited through the female line.
Male pattern baldness, the name for androgenetic alopecia in men, is the most common form of hair loss.
Data suggests it affects 6.5 million men in the UK and over 50 million in the US.
It usually starts with thinning hair on the temples and crown of the head or a receding hairline.
This is followed by greater hair loss, leaving the scalp bare, according to the NHS.
Some men with male pattern baldness start losing their hair in their late teens, while for others the process begins much later. Most men will have lost some hair by their 60s, experts say.
And scientists have suggested that people are more likely to lose their hair as levels of the sex hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) increase in the tissues on their heads.
Celebrities such as Elton John and chef Gordon Ramsay have undergone hair transplants to preserve their youth after thinning hair
Male pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss, affecting 6.5 million men in the UK and over 50 million in the US.
DHT disrupts the hair growth cycle, causing follicles to thin and eventually fall out, but experts don’t yet know why the hormone has this effect.
Hair lasts about two to three years on your head, after which it falls out and is replaced by new ones.
About 90% of your hair grows at the same time, 10% of which is in a “resting” phase. Every few months, the “dormant” follicles fall out and new hair grows in their place.
The NHS says you can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, but when thinning hair or no hair grows back, balding begins.
Male pattern hair loss is permanent but can be treated with medications such as finasteride and minoxidil, steroid injections or creams, immunotherapy or light therapy.
Other forms of treatment include wigs made from synthetic or human hair, tattoos to create the illusion of hair, or hair transplants.
Celebrities such as Elton John and chef Gordon Ramsay have had hair transplants to maintain their youth after thinning from above.
Other medical causes of baldness, such as cancer, weight loss or iron deficiency, are temporary.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
