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Dr. Bernstein was recently a guest on “The Beauty Doc” podcast with a master of oculoplastic & facial plastic surgery, Dr. Joel E. Kopelman.
Here, they discussed causes of hair loss in both men and women, the difference between hair falling out and balding, both the mental and physical effects of hair loss, when to come in for a consult and medical and surgical treatments for hair loss.
“Hair loss is a polygenetic disease that is mediated by a number of different genes; one of them is the androgen receptor gene which makes genetics slightly greater on the woman’s side rather than the father’s side, but genes for hair loss could come from either side of the family. And the reason for the unusual pattern is that the follicles on the front and top of the scalp are generally sensitive to male hormones, particularly DHT where the follicles on the back and sides of the scalp are resistant – that’s why you characteristically get that horseshoe pattern.
In women, there’s another enzyme system called aromatase that kind of modifies the pattern, so women more generally get a more diffuse pattern of hairless rather than typical male pattern which is on the top and bottom.”
