Short men are more likely to lose their hair: Four genes that cause teenagers [tr]

UK Daily Mail ^ | March 8, 2017 | Victoria Allen

[C19fan]

Short men are in greater danger of losing their hair early, because both are in their genes. Men who feel they have lost the genetic lottery by being short may be unhappy to hear the same genes could cause their hair to fall out. But the testosterone which can cause boys to stop growing early, by closing the plates at the end of their bones during their teenage years, is also thought to cause baldness.

[C19fan]

Just another reason to cue Randy Newman song. As a male on the wrong end of the Bell Curve of height thankfully it appears I have hair genes from my father's side so I still have a full head of hair in middle age. If growth hormone and gaining height by literally breaking legs was available when I was growing I would say HELL YES!.

[Vaquero]

I’m 6’1”. Lost most of my hair by my early 20s.

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Article doesn’t seem to define short, but I only skimmed it. At 5’11” I’m at least several inches shorter than all my brothers...I hope shortness isn’t relative.

[dp0622]

Pop was 5 foot 7 inches. Had a full head of hair till he passed.

More junk science.

Lawmakers and scientists and researchers have to constantly justify their existence.

Or they might have to get a real job.

[Terry L Smith]

Running through a Southern California late President’s home slash library slash museum, with a whole bunch of historical leader statues, all the leaders that were shorter than, or taller than, five foot nine inches, were all the troublemakers.

(I’m fine.)

[fluorescence]

> the testosterone which can cause boys to stop growing early, by closing the plates at the end of their bones during their teenage years

Early plate closure is caused by too much estrogen too early (giving those boys aromatase inhibitors raises their testosterone and makes them grow taller, faster) and premature balding is caused by the hair follicles having an abnormal response to DHT and getting inflamed and ditching their hair. In both cases you have abnormal hormonal responses and not necessarily high testosterone.

I have browsed hair loss forums because the topic is personally interesting, and a lot of men report rather abnormal hormone levels for men, often low testosterone and high estrogen, etc. The newest that I have read is from people hoping to restore hair by modifying levels of PGD2 and PGE2. Unfortunately they have to experiment on themselves because regular medicine offers nothing.

[V_TWIN]

“Lawmakers and scientists and researchers have to constantly justify their existence”

And their government grants.

[trebb]

I’m 5’11” and was “shedding” at 15 and finally started shaving my head at 38 because it was too thin to comb from about the age of 28 or so. Dad was 6’1” and had “the fringe” but nothing on top.

[lilypad]

That’s because everybody comes up and pats him on the top of the head.
My son is about 5’4 and started losing his hair about the same time as you. There would be shedding all over. In the shower, his bed. He shaves his head too. My maternal grandfather and uncles We’re all balding. Husband has all of his hair. Crazy.

[lafroste]

My dad topped out at 6’3” and was bald as an egg by the time he was 20. And I mean no hair at all. (and it wasn’t alopecia)

[ConservativeMind]

I thought the DHT form of testosterone basically went away by the late 20’s in men with hair, but continues to be the main form balding men get.

In other words, DHT is needed to mature men, but some men don't have theirs turned down as they “should.”

[lafroste]

I have browsed hair loss forums because the topic is personally interesting, and a lot of men report rather abnormal hormone levels

I also find it an interesting topic. My son at 15 YO lost ~60% of his head hair due to alopecia. American medicine just wanted to soak his head in steroids. I said no, and sent him to China for the summer after his 10th grade for treatment using Chinese medicine. He started the 11th grade with a full head of hair and it appears to be a permanent cure (3 years later). He told me that I should go to China too because the treatment also works for male pattern baldness (so he says).

I have several bottles of his assorted potions left but since the labels are all chinese I have no idea at all what's in the stuff, except it is not "drugs" in the western sense but more like homeopathy on steroids (urp).

[babble-on]

I don’t think they mean 5’7” is short. They’re talking about high-testosterone anomalies that stop some kids from growing prematurely so they are like 5’3”

[tflabo]

My older brother 66 at 5’7” has a mop of hair like Brillo. My younger brother 54 at 5’9” is a skinhead. Go figure. Me at 61 I’m the same height as the older bro, with less hair but not bald either.

[fluorescence]

It doesn’t sound right to me. As far as I know it is still produced and useful in the body but I guess it drops off with testosterone production since it is produced from that. It makes facial and body hair grow and I also read some studies where it improves mood, anxiety, confidence, etc in men — basically making them mentally manlier. There are other claims about it making athletes stronger and more “aggressive” or determined or something in the context of their sport but that gets a bit anecdotal.

[Jeff Chandler]

[trebb]

My mother's Dad was bald - from what I understand, that had more to do with me than my own Dad being bald.

Fortunately, my wife encouraged me to start shaving because I had been using clippers to cut it close - she thinks bald is sexy ;-))

[dp0622]

OH!!

That’s different :)

I just read why beards keep growing while hair falls out.

Something to do with the fact that testosterone affects one more than the other a lot.

Forget which :)

[dp0622]

who the heck decides how the fortunes of OUR tax money are distributed to these dopes?