Background: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is characterized by the local and gradual transformation of terminal scalp hair into vellus hair, which has a shorter and thinner shaft. There are no studies that analyze annual changes in age, patterns, family history, and associated disease.
Objective: We investigated the severity of hair loss, age of onset, the frequency of family history, and past medical histories in Korean patients with AGA.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed to identify all patients with AGA referred to the Dermatology Clinic at Chung-Ang University Hospital from January 2006 to December 2010.
Results: The age of onset was also gradually decreased from 34.1±10.1 years to 31.6±10.9 years between 2006 and 2010. In female patients, specific annual changes were not observed. Hamilton-Norwood Type IIIv AGA was most common in male patients and Ludwig Type I AGA was most common in female patients at all times between 2006 and 2010. The majority of patients with AGA had a family history of baldness and was most commonly associated with a paternal pattern of inheritance. Seborrheic dermatitis was the most common associated disease in male and female patients.
Conclusion: Our results show the possibilities that the average age of onset is decreasing. The period of the present study was only 5 years, which is not sufficient for the precise determination of onset age for AGA. Clearly, a long-term study is needed.
Keywords: Androgenetic alopecia; Onset age.