GP explains who to blame for going bald and it's not your mum

Many people believe the common misconception that your mum's side of the family is to blame for going bald.

Hair loss affects 50% of men over the age of 50, yet hair loss can start for some in their 20s. You may have heard people say that men can predict whether they’ll go bald by looking at their maternal grandfather.

The idea is that if the family members on your mum’s side keep their hair, there’s a good chance that you will too. But the suggestion that the baldness gene is carried exclusively by your mum is untrue.

Dr Sameer Sanghvi, practising GP and clinical technology lead at LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, wants to lay to rest a myth that sees mums blamed for their sons’ baldness. He said: "Male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia is a common type of hair loss that begins with hair starting to thin at the temples and top of the head.

"Although it can be treated, it has no cure and most men will start to develop this type of baldness at some stage in their life. In fact, by the age of 50, around half of white men have significant balding."

He answered some common questions surrounding baldness, including who is to blame and how it can be treated.

What causes baldness?

“Male hormones, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are involved in causing these changes. As men age, hair follicles become more sensitive to dihydrotestosterone which causes them to shrink.

“In turn, the hair that grows from these follicles becomes thinner and falls out more quickly. Eventually, all that’s left is a fine stump of hair that doesn’t grow out of the skin surface. As time goes on and more of these weak follicles develop, you’ll start to notice thin patches of hair.”

Who is to blame?

“Family history is the most decisive risk factor for developing male pattern hair loss. Inheritance is polygenic which means it can be caused by genetic input from either or both parents.

“It’s often said that stress, smoking, drinking alcohol and being overweight can also contribute to male pattern baldness. However, there’s insufficient clinical evidence to support this.”

Who can I blame?

“It’s time to stop blaming your mum for your baldness. The notion that your mother’s genes are responsible for your baldness is a myth. But it’s a fallacy that many believe. ‘Does baldness come from mother or father?’ is the second most Googled hair loss-related question, asked by 8,640 Google users each year.

“Essentially, if you’re looking for somebody to blame for your male pattern baldness, it’s only fair to blame both of your parents. In actuality, your chances of losing your hair are determined by a complex combination of genes that can be passed on from both parents.”

What treatments are available?

“First things first, I’d like to stress that male pattern baldness isn’t something that needs treatment. It’s a natural part of ageing and, if it’s not affecting your confidence, my advice would be to try to embrace your hair loss.

“However, if your hair loss is impacting your self-esteem, there are effective treatments which can either slow or even reverse hair loss.

“Finasteride and Propecia are once-a-day tablet medications that have been shown to halt hair loss in up to 90% of men and even trigger regrowth in up to 66%. Finasteride is a generic version of Propecia that is almost half the price. This means it has the same active ingredients and works in the same way.

“There are also non-prescription treatments like Regaine extra strength - a topical foam that has been proven to prevent or reverse hair loss in 90% of men.”

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