Hair loss is gradual, with miniaturization of genetically programmed hair follicles. AGA appears different in men as compared with women. In men with AGA, hair loss occurs in the fronto-temporal regions and on the vertex of the scalp, depending on severity. In female AGA patients, it is more diffuse and located centroparietally. The frontal hairline is usually intact in women.
Treatment is either medical or surgical.
Treatment is lifelong. Finasteride in not indicated in women. Hair transplantation of permanent hairs from the back and sides of the scalp to balding areas in the front is a successful procedure but usually requires three to four sessions over 2 years to fill in an area with adequate density. Donor harvesting with strips rather than plugs has made the donor site more cosmetically acceptable. Hair transplantation is useful not only in men but also in women.