Hair loss more common?

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
1

re: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_269.html

OK, so this is an old column, but I was wondering - around me here in Israel I can see tons of young people balding. What is young? in their 20s. I’m 24 and am seriously balding. In fact, my hair started to thin at 16(!). I know some people under 30 who have no hair above their ears…

So what is it? Is it the stress of living in a terror-stricken country like Israel? It is the abundant pollution? Jewish genes?

Any idea?

Dubi.

2

Blah. Cheesey column. (Cheesey = weak)

Well, stress is one factor, nutrition is another, and genetics is another.

Generally, if it’s ‘male pattern’ baldness (front recedes, crown thins) you can be pretty darn sure it’s genetic.

3

ah, yes, but take me for example - my dad didn’t start getting bald till his 40’s. From what I know, 20 years ago, there were much fewer bald guys in their 20’s. So genes can’t explain it all.

4

Wouldn’t hair loss among women be common for the simple fact that women are living longer, and thus, are old enough to bald now…

in the past, women probably died before their hair fell out. But now they are living way longer than men, thus giving time for balding.

I thin that is the simple answer to the question.

Melkor

5

Male pattern balding in adult males is simply an evolutionary device to identify the older males in a non-speaking human breeding group. The recognition of mature (hence wise) individuals as founts of the knowledge critical to the survival of the pack is perhaps analogous to the role played by the silver-back males in the culture of modern mountain gorillas.

In pre-language human tribes the presence of a bald head signalled that the man with the bald head was still virile, knowledgeable, and vigorous, and as such he was a major foundation in a social structure that was designed by mother nature to effect their survival.

That being the case any premature loss of hair by the female would be more likely to be caused by chemical associations or by the imagination of poor statistics. Would you not think?

6

Wha?

You think you can only inherit traits from your father?

And from what you know there were ‘fewer bald guys in their 20’s’? :dubious:

This begs the question, “Could you please cite this claim??”

7

We’re only talking about industrialized countries, but women don’t live ‘way’ longer. Right now, life expectancy for women in America is about 80 years; for men, it’s 75. Not that much of a difference.