Male Pattern Baldness

[Night Haven]

I've got a few questions about male pattern baldness to hopefully absolve my decision to take (or not to take) T.

How much do genetics factor into it, as well as age? If I'm in my early twenties, but my male family members started losing hair around thirty, will I begin to do the same at this younger age, or will that likely happen around thirty? Likewise, if I'm still twenty and my male family members still have thick hair in their forties, will my chances of developing make pattern baldness as I'm taking T be reduced?

Thanks for the help, guys!

[JoanneB]

My dad was balding as far back as I can remember. His dad was as bald as cue ball when he was an infant. On my mom's side everyone had a full thick head of hair.

I got my dad's genes for hair, mom's for hips and breasts. My brother fared much better in the MPB department. His didn't start in untill late 40's early 50's. Probably due to other underlying health reasons

As with all things hormones, as well as genes, YMMV

[Eva Marie]

It's the luck of the genetic draw. My mom's parents had thick hair and when my grandfather on that side died at 93 he still had most of it. My dad's mother was the same. I don't know about my paternal grandfather as he died when my dad was 6. My mom's sister also had great hair.

My mom has great hair. My dad began balding in his 40s.

Me? I missed all of the good hair genes and got my dad's hair genes; my MPB started showing up in my 40s. It seems less worse than his and since i've been on hormones for the past 5 years it seems to have reversed and has gotten a little better. I'm seeing what minoxil will do for the thin spot in the back now.

[Jill F]

Mine hit the fan slowly.  Slight recession, got increasingly thinner after late 30s or so.  Like Glenn Danzig.  It was so gradual I didn't really notice anything other than my ponytail getting skinnier.  I got really depressed over it last year, and I'm sure it fueled part of my breakdown/revelation.  I just looked at a pic of myself a year ago Halloween, and couldn't believe how much came back due to HRT.  It has mostly all come back after 9 months, and I see thinner hair on a lot of ciswomen now.   My problem now is that I always kept it long, so I have a lot of hairs on top that have umm, a lot of catching up to do.  Feeling my ponytail getting fatter is nice.  I'm not sure I'll ever catch up to my wife, but she has extra thick hair.

My father was pretty far along in his early 30s, and my mom's brother had thinned out much like I did by the time he was 40.  He never went completely bald, but his is quite thin.  I'm sure I was genetically predisposed to follow that pattern.  I hear you're 50% likely to be like your mother's brother in that department, but I think most guys are basically 50/50 to lose hair by 40 anyway.  Yet another YMMV thing...

[Magnus]

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/news/20050527/blame-male-pattern-baldness-on-mom

All I can say is that there definitely does appear to be truth to that ^ article's contents.

I essentially inherited my maternal grandfather's hair genes overall, even more recently (since T) right down to the precise pigment and including his M-hairline. My dad's hair characteristics are different, he doesn't have an M-hairline at all, completely full head of hair; his was (as it's all gray-white these days; he's into his 50's) more of a typical lighter brown and he's nowhere near this furry either (I'm talking a full pelt. It's wild). My maternal grandfather's hairline did reach about stage IIIa-IVa before he died at 55 though, albeit no graying so there's that. Personally, between the two I have no idea which way its going to go yet. Still too early. Although on the technicality that any M-hairline constitutes stage I, even if it doesn't ever progress any further than that whatsoever, I do. But so far, I don't. If that makes sense. If my dad's genes have any sway at all, I may never get actual MPB. Or I could only have a slight degree. No idea. At the very least, my grandfather's was just the receding variety so it won't be like... you know, crown and all that at the same time (which would be worse IMO).

Even if I did get it, I'd still have to take T anyway for other reasons than just transition. I could learn to live with a cue-ball if that's what was ultimately going to happen. Honestly, you shouldn't let just this prevent you from T. The plain truth is, if especially a Caucasian man lives long enough, eventually and overwhelmingly on average he will go mostly bald. It's just the way it is. My 98 year old great grandfather (maternal grandmother's dad) that just recently passed, didn't have MPB until he was well into his 60's. Just goes to show how true the aforementioned fact of life really is. Really, I live just next to an all 55+ community and I rarely ever see elderly men retain a remotely full head of hair around here. Its pretty rare after middle age.