new thread
Everyone here knows that some men have lots of facial hair and even a bunch of general body hair but lose scalp hair at an untimely age while the body and facial hair lasts a lifetime!
Genetics is important, but one form of testosterone is well known to cause scalp hair to vanish. Testosterone seems to encourage body and facial hair growth but kills the scalp hairs :^(
Anyone know why male scalp hair often disappears with age while body and facial hair never goes away?
I'm not asking from personal experience since I never had body hair and still have all my scalp hair at 58. But I'm just wondering.
Hi Ca831,
binding of androgens to androgen receptors of scalp hair shafts downregulates hair growth, and binding to androgen receptors of facial hair shafts upregulates hair growth. Androgen receptors are inherited on the X chromosome, i.e. people get them from their mothers. Therefore, looking at maternal grandfathers gives a better prediction of what's in store for us hair-wise than looking at fathers.
Hope that helps.
Hans-Uwe
What applies to facial hair also seems to apply to most other body hair except for the scalp. I still wonder why androgens downregulate scalp hair and upregulate all the rest. I'd just as soon have it the other way around!
That's very interesting. Thanks.