Category: Hair Loss Causes

My son hit the side of his head a few months ago and got a rather large bump. I have noticed a bald spot right where he hit it and was wondering if this has anything to do with that?

Direct trauma can sometimes cause hair loss. If you are concerned I’d take him to see doctor, but otherwise I would give it 8 months or so to see if hair will grow back.

I want to express my appreciation for a good website to Drs. Rassman, Pak, Gazoni, and Zeballos. As a daily reader on this site, I see that Drs. Pak, Gazoni, and Zeballos never get any notice though they are contributing editors.

I have two questions:

The first being that does balding on the crown always start in the center or can it start on the right or left sides and progress to the other side? It seems (what I see everyday) that crown balding starts in the dead center of the crown.

Secondly, is it common for most men to mistake the beginnings of balding on the crown as the result of having a large “hair-swirl” which can give the appearance of miniaturization? I notice some men have large “hair-swirls” and some have small or even hardly detectable “hair-swirls.”

Even if you cannot answer these questions due to the many you receive, thank you for providing this informative website! If you do answer these questions, thank you in advance!

A good analysis for miniaturization with microscopic examination will show what is balding and what is not. Generally, crown balding does not start in the center of the crown, but just in front of the swirl (or whorl, as it is also known). The actual swirl and the hair behind it may vary with different degrees of miniaturization. It is not unusual for the hair behind the swirl to be stronger and less miniaturized than the hair immediately in front of the swirl, and this distinction may point to the final pattern of hair loss in a particular patient.

Hi Doc. I have a few questions regarding male pattern balding and hormones.

1. I obviously have a lot of DHT as I am 22 and have hair on my shoulders, back and chest and had bad acne growing up. Does this mean that I will be more susceptible to MPB?
2. I have a widows peak that I inherited from my father. He is in his 50’s and the only extent of balding happened before his mid twenties that resulted in a pronounced widows peak. Does this mean That I will probably follow his pattern? if I have more DHT that he does is there a greater chance that I will have more balding…or is your pattern of balding predetermined…regardless of the amount of DHT you have.
3. I have noticed miniaturized hair falling out every once in a while, they are thin but still as long as the rest of the hair. Does this always mean MPB or does some hair naturally miniaturize. (could other scalp conditions cause this, such as dermatitis)

I appreciate any info you can offer regarding these questions. Excellent site, keep up the good work.

1. Having “lots” of DHT does not necessarily mean you will have MPB. You need to have the gene for MPB. Just having hairy shoulders, back, and chest does not necessarily mean you have “lots” of DHT either.
2. You may or may not follow your father’s hair pattern. There is no way to tell for certain.
3. Miniaturized hair does not necessarily mean you have MPB. Men with MPB have miniaturized hair in certain “patterns” — thus, the term male pattern baldness (MPB).

I have seen certain studys that show hormone polluted meats such as mince meat and steak can accelerate MPB causing more hair loss. Is there any truth to this?

I found an article with a quote that suggested there was something to this: “If you look at Japan, male pattern baldness was almost unheard of prior to World War II. The Japanese diet is now far more fatty and Westernized, and Japanese men are going bald everywhere. It’s clear that a high-fat, meat-based diet raises testosterone levels, and that may adversely affect hair follicles. I’m not sure eating low-fat foods will stop hair loss, but it might slow it down.”

The above quote is attributed to Dr Michael Klaper, a vegan health advocate that focuses on the perceived dangers of consuming meat and dairy. The problem is, there is no modern science to back his hair loss claims up. While there are many suggestions that “we are what we eat” and that diet does influence the expression of genes, I am unaware of good statistical or scientific studies that accurately report balding prior to WWII in Japanese men or that meat contributes to hair loss.

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I use minoxidil twice a day, and was wondering if the rubbing in of the product using my fingers could cause traction alopecia. Sometimes the areas I rub become a bit sensitive, and while
I dont think I am rubbing too hard, I was wondering if this constant, twice a day rubbing could contribute to hair loss.

Thanks.

No. Traction alopecia does not occur from rubbing product into your hair; it occurs from constant pull on the hair for many weeks or months.

I know this may sound ridiculous and maybe hypothetical, however i find it reasonable to ask. Hypothetically speaking, who ever the first person was on the planet to go bald, what scientific REASON did he? I know you may answer by saying they would have had DHT-sensitive cells,but that isnt really explaining what chemically or otherwise is making the follicles sensitive to DHT. People have DHT yet dont go bald, so what makes the cell sensitive to it? The usual answer i get given to why am bald is because the balding ‘Gene’ has been passed down. Well who ever was the first person to bald, What specific reason did his cells become sensitive to DHT?

This is a great question. For those readers who believe in evolution and not intelligent design, I gave one reasonable answer to why hair loss occurs in a previous post — Why Does the Back and Sides of the Head Not Lose Hair?

After having read Sex, Time and Power: How Women’s Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution by Leonard Shlain (referenced in the above link), I became a believer, as it was the only explanation for balding I’ve ever found.

The book is available at Amazon.com.