Is it true that … male pattern baldness is inherited from the mother?

It is often down to genetics, but hair loss is also affected by hormones, stress and other factors

This is partially true, says Dr Thivos Sokratous, medical doctor and hair loss expert at Ouronyx. We all have two chromosomes (essentially strings of DNA) that code our genetic makeup. Males are born with an X chromosome, with genes inherited from their mother, and a Y chromosome, from their father.

Sokratous says some studies have shown a strong link between the androgen receptor gene on the X chromosome (passed down from the mother) and male pattern hair loss, with some suggesting this gene may account for up to 70% of the risk. “But male pattern baldness is more complex than that,” he says. “It’s the combination of genes from your mum and your dad alongside other factors.”