* Not a rare disease
Other Names for this Disease
- Androgenic alopecia
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male-pattern baldness. Over time, the hairline recedes to form a characteristic 'M' shape. Hair also thins near the top of the head, often progressing to partial or complete baldness. The pattern of hair loss in women differs from men (female pattern hair loss). In women, the hair becomes thinner all over the head, and the hairline does not recede. Androgenetic alopecia in women rarely leads to total baldness. A variety of genetic and environmental factors likely play a role in causing this condition. Mutations in the AR gene have also been associated with androgenetic alopecia.Androgenetic alopecia is a common form of hair loss in both men and women. In men, hair is usually lost in a well-defined pattern, beginning above both temples and is usually referred to as
Last updated: 8/19/2011
- Androgenetic alopecia. Genetics Home Reference. May 2006; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/androgenetic-alopecia. Accessed 8/19/2011.
- Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Androgenetic alopecia. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.
- MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition for patients and caregivers.
- Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
- Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.