Assessment of the Oxidative Stress Status in Androgenetic Alopecia in Egyptian Men

Abstract

ale androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of hair loss in men affecting 30%-50% of men by the age of fifty in which it’s known as genetically predetermined disorder due to excessive response to androgens. AGA can affect all races, but the prevalence is the highest in Caucasians with a rate of 58% of AGA males in 30’s, 40% in their 40s and 50% in their 50s. The risk factors involved smoking, alcohol consumption, increased body mass index (BMI) and stress, besides the genetic predominance, androgens dependence and age factor. The pathophysiology of AGA is seen in the alteration of hair cycle as the visible thinning of scalp hair is due to a decrease in the ratio of terminal hairs to shorter vellus hairs which is called “follicular miniaturization” in which the anagen phase shortens from 3-6 years to few weeks or month, also the duration of telogen remains the same or lengthened to more than 3 months which is responsible for increased hair shedding while combing and washing. Inflammatory infiltrate of activated T cells and macrophages was found in the upper third of the hair follicle in aprocess known as microinflammation that also causes AGA.