MALE-PATTERN ALOPECIA AND MASCULINITY

Cutaneous processes which are thought to be influenced by androgenic stimulation include the development of male-pattern alopecia, terminal hair distribution, sebum excretion rate, maximal sweat secretion rate and skin thickness. These indices were measured in 48 normal men, together with muscle, fat and bone thickness and plasma testosterone. There was a significant correlation between hair density on the forearm, leg and chest, but no other significant correlations were found. Bald men are evidently no more masculine than those with good scalp hair growth, if masculinity is defined in terms of end-organ response to androgenic stimulation.