Baldness is hereditary, but....

[IRONHORSE]

As I sat here reading the forums this morning, a question occurred to me, and I thought I'd post it and see what y'all think...

I know MPB is hereditary, but does it seem to you that there are more bald guys, these days, than there used to be? Could there be other factors contributing to the spread of MPB , like dietary, stress, or environmental, or is it just that the genes for MPB are becoming more widespread throughout the overall gene pool?

I'm pretty sure there is no definitive answer to this, but I thought it might make an interesting discussion.

[Mikekoz13]

Well.... I think it's kind of like buying a new car. You never noticed all those Mustangs in the neighborhood until you went and bought what you thought was the first one. Then the damn things were everywhere.

I think most of us are just more aware because head shaving is a part of our lives.

[D.A.L.U.I.]

Well, when we're younger we don't notice the more "mature" guys, but the incidence of mpb increases w/ age, by age 50, 50% of men have some degree of mpb.  So, as you mature and your friends and associates mature, more bald guys that you now notice because they're your contemporaries.  
Another factor could be if the genes that determine baldness are dominant--then ultimately almost all will be bald by mpb, and the rest bbc--so they won't stand out.  

See: http://www.keratin.com/ac/ac001.shtml  that provides as follows:

"Androgenetic alopecia, androgenic alopecia[the medical terminology for mpb] , or pattern baldness, has been a part of the human race for as long as we have historical records. Evolutionary evidence suggests androgenetic alopecia has been around longer than the modern human race. Our nearest non-human primate relatives, orangutans and gorillas can also develop androgenetic alopecia. Androgenetic alopecia is a very common form of hair loss and could be described as part of our general genetic phenotype. People who do not develop androgenetic alopecia are in the minority. We could even say these non-bald people are the deviants from the norm!

Medicine has long recognized androgenetic alopecia as an inherited systemic disease [The poster, Saintc strongly disagrees with this qualification ] associated with sexual development." (Emphasis addedl)

"Androgenetic alopecia  affects between 50 and 80% of Caucasian men. A rule of thumb is for men in their thirties, 30% have androgenetic alopecia. For men in their forties, 40% have alopecia and so on until 80% of men are affected when 80 or more years old."

So, like it or not, there are going to be a whole lot of us, and more as we "mature."  If the guys mature in attitude, there will also be a lot of guys shaving the remains of the dying mop off to.  

[Arnie]

Think more people are taking the plunge...wearing less hats...not afraid to show it off...plus it looks great to their are more BBC doing it!!!

[Ming the Merciless]

There is too little time in "modern times" for a significant genetic change leading to increased prevalence of MPB.  For the frequency of the genes involved in MPB to increase recently on a large scale, there would have to be, for the balding, a profoundly positive effect on the likelihood of survival and successful reproduction (you know, the Darwinian ideas on evolution) for being bald, and that those men who kept their hair would have to be at a disadvantage at attracting mates.  Well, Sly guys, does this scenario seem likely to you?  Listening to some of the wails here from those in their twenties about how "going bald" is ruining their sex lives, and not hearing a peep from those who are distressed that their hair is staying put tells us...something.

I like to think that going bald is a sign of wisdom and maturity.  Most adolescents, awash in hair and hormones, are clueless and callow (and horny).  Beaujolais nouveau at best.  We, of course, are vintage wine.  Or did I mean "swine"?

[Morthen]

For me personally. I think when i started losing my hair I became so obsessed with it I would notice other peoples hair loss immediately. I think since it becomes a big enough part of our lives to shave our heads then we notice these things moreso than the average person.