What role does genetics play in hair loss? The biggest role. Yes, hair loss is largely genetic. But that doesn’t mean the popular notion that genes are solely passed on from the mother is actually true, so you can stop blaming mom for your hair loss. The fact remains that your father’s side is equally to blame whether you’ll be bald or not.

Let’s dig more into the scientific details so you can get a better idea.

Hair Loss can be inherited from any side of the family

Blaming a single gene for baldness is over simplistic – in reality, your chances of losing hair are determined by a complex host of genes from both your mother and father, along with some environmental factors.

Not only can you inherit a similar pattern of hair loss from your parents, but you can also inherit sensitivity to DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a male sex hormone that causes hair follicles to become thinner over time, thereby causing male pattern baldness.

What leads to Male Pattern Baldness?

Male Pattern Baldness is a genetic disorder that causes more than 95% of hair loss and affects roughly half of men by age 40.

It depends on how sensitive your hair follicles are to DHT or dihydrotestosterone, an androgen (male sex hormone) that is a byproduct of testosterone. The androgen receptor gene produces receptors on hair follicles that interact with testosterone and DHT, and if your receptors are sensitive, hair loss may occur. We wrote a separate blog on “How DHT influences Hair Loss”, which you may read to know more about this subject.

Now, Androgen receptors are located on the X chromosome, explaining the common notion that Male Pattern Baldness originates from the mother’s side of the family.

But the truth is that it can actually come from any part of the family. To refresh your memory assuming you took a nap during your high school biology class, here is a quick learning: “Most men inherit an X chromosome from their mother and a Y chromosome from their father.”

There are genes in basically all chromosomes that are related to androgenetic alopecia, and this is what makes it so difficult to discover, as we would have to examine the overall contribution that each gene variant plays in hair loss

So, what can you do about my hair loss?

While Male Pattern Baldness is largely genetic, we at Evolved Clinics are well placed to advise you with the most holistic advice of Hair Loss Prevention Treatments and Hair Transplant options for you. Our DFI Technique is the most advanced FUE technique and follows evolutionary protocols and best practices from across the world.

So if you notice a receding hairline or thinning hair, learn how to take care of your hair with Evolved Clinics and make sure your hair doesn’t look like your bald uncle anytime soon.

To summarize: Yes, hair loss is genetic, but the exact genetic susceptibility is complex and not fully understood. So instead of putting all the blame on mom, find a solution to keep your hair down and move on with your life, with confidence, of course 😊