Androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss)
Androgenetic alopecia is the medical name for male and female pattern hair loss: gradual, usually inherited thinning in a recognisable pattern, linked to hormones and genes.
Full definition
"Alopecia" simply means hair loss, and "androgenetic" points to the two things behind this type: androgens (hormones such as DHT) and genes. The British Association of Dermatologists describes male pattern hair loss as the most common type of hair loss in men, which can begin at any time after puberty. The usual pattern is a receding hairline and loss from the top of the head, while the sides and back are spared. There is no cure, but it tends to progress slowly, over years to decades. It is not harmful to physical health, although the BAD recognises it can affect self-esteem and wellbeing. In women the picture is different: thinning is usually over the crown with the front hairline often kept, and because the role of androgens in women is not yet clear and many affected women have normal androgen levels, clinicians increasingly use the term female pattern hair loss (Bhat and colleagues, 2020). The NHS says finasteride and minoxidil are the main treatments for male pattern baldness, minoxidil can also be used for female pattern baldness, and women should not use finasteride. The NHS adds that these treatments do not work for everyone and only work for as long as they are used. Wigs, hairpieces and hair transplant surgery are non-drug options, and choosing no treatment at all is a valid choice. Other types of hair loss, such as alopecia areata, telogen effluvium and scarring alopecia, have different causes, and WMG Meds does not treat alopecia areata or scarring alopecia with medication. If you are unsure what kind of hair loss you have, the NHS advises seeing a GP first, and our free online assessment asks the questions a doctor needs.
What it does not mean
It does not mean you have "too much testosterone" or a hormone disorder. In men the diagnosis is usually made from the pattern of loss and family history, and the scalp skin looks normal. In women, pattern hair loss occurs in some people with normal androgen levels. Nor is it a catch-all term for any thinning: patchy loss, sudden heavy shedding or a sore, red or scarred scalp point to other conditions that need a different assessment.
UK regulatory source
British Association of Dermatologists patient information leaflet, Hair loss: male pattern (androgenetic alopecia), June 2024; NHS, Hair loss (symptoms A to Z); Bhat YJ et al. Female pattern hair loss: an update. Indian Dermatol Online J 2020