Do Short Men Go Bald More Often?

Q: Do Short Men Go Bald Prematurely?

A: Genetic Research Reveals Link Between Height and Hair Loss.

“Do Short Men Go Bald Prematurely?”  –   At Bauman Medical, we assumed that men of shorter stature opt for hair transplantation and other hair loss treatments for their thinning hair as a cosmetic option because the balding areas of scalp were more visible due to their height. However, new genetic research performed on DNA samples from over 20,000 individuals published in Nature Communications shows there’s a link between premature male pattern baldness and height (as well as other conditions). German geneticists at the University of Bonn Institute of Human Genetics identified over 60 alterations in the human genome that increase the risk of premature hair loss. Some are associated with conditions such as prostate cancer or characteristics such as smaller body size and reduced height… suggesting that in fact short men may be at risk for premature baldness.

In terms of developing new hair loss treatments and therapies in the future, this research also highlights plausible candidate genes and pathways that contribute to the hair follicle balding patterns in men such as:

1. Hair Follicle Cycling – The deregulation of anagen to catagen transition (FGF5, EBF1, DKK2, adipogenesis);
2. Role of Androgens and Other Hormones – Increased androgen sensitivity (SRD5A2, melatonin signalling); and
3. Miniaturization of Hair Follicles – The transformation of pigmented terminal hair into short unpigmented vellus hair (IRF4).

Not simply answering the question, “Do Short Men Go Bald More Often?” this research also highlights the association of male pattern baldness with other life-threatening conditions such as prostate cancer, sudden cardiac arrest and neurodegenerative disorders and may serve as a marker for identifying these conditions early.

The good news is that regardless of height, men with thinning hair have a variety of effective medical options to treat their hair loss situation (like medications, laser therapy, PRP, etc.) before it becomes severe and/or restore their hair undetectably using modern minimally-invasive methods of hair transplantation like NeoGraft or ARTAS robotic-assisted FUE.

If you or someone you know has hair loss, hair thinning, baldness, or eyebrow / eyelash concerns, click to start either a long-distance virtual consultation OR an in-person, in-office consultation with Dr. Bauman. You can also Ask Dr. Bauman a Question or simply call Bauman Medical Group  at +1-561-394-0024.