Is Hair Loss Genetic or Hereditary? What the Science Says
Last reviewed on 6 August 2026. We review our treatment guides every six months to keep them accurate.
Is hair loss genetic or hereditary? For the most common type of hair loss, the answer is yes. Male and female pattern hair loss, known medically as androgenetic alopecia, is largely inherited: it runs in families and is driven by a genetically determined sensitivity of your scalp follicles to a hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone). If a parent or grandparent has pattern baldness (balding), you are more likely to develop it too.
Genes are not the whole story, though, and not every kind of hair loss is inherited. This guide answers the questions people ask most: which side of the family it comes from, whether it skips a generation, whether it can be prevented, reversed or stopped, and whether a genetic test is worth having. For a plain, regularly updated overview, the NHS hair loss page is a reliable place to start, and it is always worth seeing your GP to confirm the cause before deciding what, if anything, to do about it.
Genetic and hereditary: what is the difference?
The two words are often used to mean the same thing, and for hair loss they amount to much the same. Genetic means something is influenced by your genes. Hereditary means it is passed down through your family, from parents and grandparents, in those genes. Pattern hair loss is both: it is written into your genes and inherited from your relatives, which is why it tends to run in families. Twin studies attribute around 80% of it to genetics.
Which parent does hair loss come from?
Pattern hair loss is polygenic and inherited from either or both parents, not only your mother's side, so family history on both sides counts.
A popular belief is that baldness comes only from your mother's side, and from her father in particular. This is a myth. Pattern hair loss is polygenic, meaning many different genes are involved, and the British Association of Dermatologists explains it can be inherited from either or both parents. Both sides of your family count.
The myth does have a grain of truth. One of the most important genes, the androgen receptor (AR) gene, which helps set how sensitive your follicles are to DHT, sits on the X chromosome, and a son inherits his X chromosome from his mother. But this is only one of many genes. Others sit on the ordinary chromosomes inherited equally from both parents, with an important region on chromosome 20. In practice a father's hair loss also raises the risk: research summarised in StatPearls reports that sons whose fathers went bald have several times the risk. Looking at a single relative is unreliable; a fuller picture of hair loss on both sides of the family is a better guide.
Does hair loss skip a generation?
There is no rule that baldness skips a generation. It can appear in any generation, and it can just as easily affect a father and son one after the other. Because pattern hair loss is polygenic and depends on the particular mix of genes you inherit, along with your own hormone sensitivity, it can sometimes look as though it has skipped a generation when a milder or later-onset version was simply less noticeable. The genes can still be passed on quietly and show up more clearly further down the line. So a bald grandfather and a father with a full head of hair tell you very little on their own.
Is all hair loss genetic?
No. Pattern hair loss is the most common type and is largely inherited, but plenty of hair loss has nothing to do with your genes, and some of it is temporary and treatable. It is worth telling the two apart, because assuming all shedding is hereditary and permanent can mean missing a cause that could be put right.
Common non-genetic causes include:
- Telogen effluvium, a temporary, diffuse shedding that can follow illness, high stress, surgery, crash dieting or childbirth.
- Alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes patchy hair loss. It has a genetic predisposition, but it is not the same as inherited pattern baldness.
- Thyroid problems and iron deficiency, which can thin the hair until the underlying issue is treated.
- Hormonal changes such as the menopause.
- Traction alopecia from tight hairstyles, and hair damaged by harsh or excessive styling.
Pattern hair loss usually comes on gradually: a receding hairline or thinning crown in men, or a widening centre parting in women. Sudden shedding, distinct bald patches, or an itchy, inflamed scalp point instead to one of the causes above, which is another reason to have hair loss assessed rather than assume it is in your genes. Our guides to the Norwood scale and the difference between a mature and a receding hairline can help you make sense of what you are seeing, and our guide to why men go bald and women usually don't explains why the pattern differs between the sexes.
Can genetic hair loss be prevented, reversed or stopped?
You cannot change your genes, and there is no cure for pattern hair loss. But that does not mean nothing can be done. Genetic hair loss can often be slowed, and sometimes partly reversed, when treatment is started early, so it is better thought of as managed rather than cured.
The NHS lists two main treatments for male pattern baldness: minoxidil, applied to the scalp, and finasteride, a tablet that reduces how much testosterone is converted into DHT. Minoxidil can also be used by women, but women should not take finasteride, particularly if there is any chance of pregnancy. Any benefit lasts only for as long as treatment continues, and no treatment works for everyone. A hair transplant takes a different approach, moving your own DHT-resistant follicles from the back and sides of the scalp into thinning areas, though it does not stop the underlying process elsewhere. There is little good evidence that hair lost to genetics can be regrown naturally. Because these medicines have side effects and are not right for everyone, your GP or a dermatologist is the best person to talk to before starting anything.
Is a genetic test for baldness worth it?
Genetic tests that claim to predict baldness are sold online, but they are not needed to diagnose pattern hair loss or to decide on treatment. Your family history and a simple examination of your scalp give a doctor what they need. The science backs this up: gene-based predictors have been found to work reasonably well for early-onset hair loss but far less well across the general population, so a test result would rarely change what you are advised to do. Family history on both sides remains the most useful guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is hair loss genetic or hereditary?
The most common type is both. Male and female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) is largely genetic and hereditary: it is written into your genes and inherited from your family. Other types of hair loss, such as telogen effluvium or alopecia areata, are not inherited pattern baldness and can have quite different causes.
Which side of the family does baldness come from?
Both. Pattern baldness is polygenic and can be inherited from either or both parents, not only your mother's side. The androgen receptor gene on the X chromosome, which you inherit from your mother, is one important contributor, which is where the mother's-side idea comes from, but many other genes from both parents matter too, so family history on either side counts.
Does baldness skip a generation?
Not as a rule. It can appear in any generation. It sometimes looks as though it has skipped when a milder or later-onset version went unnoticed, but the genes can still be passed on quietly and show up more clearly in a later generation. A relative with a full head of hair is no guarantee either way.
Can hereditary hair loss be reversed?
There is no cure, but hereditary hair loss can often be slowed and sometimes partly reversed with treatments such as minoxidil or finasteride, especially when started early. Any improvement lasts only while treatment continues, so it is best thought of as managed rather than reversed for good. Your GP can talk through what is realistic for you.
Can genetic hair loss be prevented?
You cannot prevent the inherited tendency itself, but starting proven treatment early can slow the process and help you keep more of your hair for longer. Because pattern hair loss is gradual, acting sooner rather than later tends to give the best result.
Is female hair loss hereditary?
It can be. Female pattern hair loss is inherited in much the same way as the male form, and it often becomes more noticeable after the menopause. However, women are more likely than men to have another, treatable cause behind their thinning, such as low iron or a thyroid problem, so it is worth having the cause checked.
The bottom line
Pattern hair loss, the most common form, is largely genetic and hereditary, inherited from both sides of the family through many genes rather than a single one from your mother's father. It does not reliably skip a generation. You cannot change your genes and there is no cure, but genetic hair loss can often be slowed and managed, especially if treatment is started early, and not all hair loss is inherited in the first place. If your hair loss is bothering you, see your GP to find out what is causing it before deciding what to do next.
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