Why Do Men Go Bald? We Asked Hair Experts

By Bryan Levandowski
Reviewed by Sophia Emmanuel Trichologist

One of the best parts about our halcyon days as children is that we don’t have to worry about hair loss. Of course, there are a million other benefits that come before that, but the fact that two-thirds of men in America will face some degree of balding before they turn 35—25% of which will experience male pattern baldness before they’re old enough to drink—sees a growing number of men looking to face the problem head-on.1

When it comes to men’s hair loss, there seem to be two different camps. There’s the guy who takes it in stride—after all, it’s the age of body positivity and aging gracefully. No muss, no fuss, they rock their shiny heads with pride and live happily ever after. Then there’s the guy who sees his thinning hair and receding hairline as a burden that dulls his self-esteem and affects his social life.

To both guys, if you’re listening: it’s not your fault. The majority of hair loss stems from your genes, meaning you don’t really get much of a say in the matter. The good news is, there’s plenty you can do about it. That is, if you choose to. 

Why do men go bald? It’s a question we hear all too frequently here at Byrdie Boy, so let’s take a proper exploration into the reasons men go bald, what we can do about it, and how we can prevent it. To get our facts straight, we consulted Board-certified physician Azza Halim, M.D. and the team par excellence of all things hair loss, the trichologists at Philip Kingsley, and asked the age-old question: Why do men go bald?