Early-onset androgenetic alopecia and endocrine disruptors

Abstract

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common acquired non scarring alopecia in humans caused by androgen hormones in the setting of a genetic predisposition. Usually AGA starts after puberty, but recently it has been observed also in adolescents. Their mean age was 13 years with a slight prevalence in males. The premature AGA may be caused by environmental, alimentary (meat and milk) or cosmetics overexposure to sexual hormones or to endocrine disrupters (EDs). EDs are "exogenous substances that interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body causing adverse effects to human health" and they are able bind to the steroid hormone receptors. Early onset AGA may be linked to the well known phenomenon of early puberty caused in some cases by hormones contained in food or by environmental chemicals. Therefore it is likely that the EDs may play a role also in the pathogenesis of early-onset AGA.

Keywords

• androgenetic alopecia, premature alopecia, endocrine disrupters