Who is stealing your follicles? Meet the biological villains behind male pattern baldness.
Dihydrotestosterone. The kingpin. This androgen hormone causes "follicle miniaturization." It binds to receptors in your scalp and essentially chokes the follicle until it can only produce tiny, peach-fuzz hairs—or nothing at all.
Your DNA. You can't blame just your mom's side—that's a lab myth. MPB is polygenic, meaning you can inherit the sensitivity to DHT from either parent. If your follicle receptors are "sticky" for DHT, you're on the list.
Cortisol. While it doesn't cause MPB directly, severe stress can trigger "Telogen Effluvium"—forcing a massive amount of hair into the resting phase at once. It's like a lab-wide strike that leaves the shelves empty.
Follicle miniaturization isn't an overnight heist. It's a slow transition where each growth cycle produces a shorter, thinner strand until the follicle becomes dormant. The earlier you intervene, the more likely you are to keep the shop open.