My grandpa was a miner for Iron

[tylerg6]

Here is a question. My grandpa on my dad's side was bald pretty young (like norwood 6 by age 28 ). My grandma swears up and down he was the only one in his family who was bald.

She claims he went bald because he spent about 10 years as a miner (he mined Iron, Copper and coal) is it possible to go bald because you mine for Iron? I think excessive iron intake can cause hairloss but is this even possible?

I am trying to find a trace. I have some overall diffuse thinning happening. My dad is showing slight signs of thinning at the front at age 60. My moms dad had decent hair til he died at age 83. His dad and brothers all had hair into 70's and 80's and my grandma on my dads side claims he was the only one and it was for reasons stated above.

I am 25. The hair naturally thins as you age. What extent is considered normal? I am swedish decent. maybe my hair is just supposed to be thinner...though i am not banking on it.

 

[The Gardener]

One way to tell if the hairloss is from genetic male pattern baldness or from some external source is by looking at the hairloss pattern.

Genetic male pattern baldness causes baldness in a predictable pattern, usually the front temples and the classic bald spot in back.

Hairloss from an external cause (such as the mining) would occur over most of the scalp.

Basically, if you (or your dad) is losing hair in the male pattern baldness pattern, then chances are it is from male pattern baldness.

 

[kalbo]

My mom used to tell me that my grandfather (her father) went completely bald because he used a lot of pomade before losing it. I used to bug her a lot about it b/c I was scared of going bald, but she kept reassuring me that his hair loss was only caused by the pomade. Well, I've never used pomade in my life and my hairline has been receding since the tender age of 16!

The point is, many ppl from the older generations knew very little of hair loss so they didn't know that male pattern baldness is only caused by genetics (other factors can speed up the process though). Because of this, they'll analyze the lifestyle of the bald person and think that some ulterior factor caused the hair loss. Tons of ppl used pomade and never went bald, and there are tons of miners who have full heads of hair.

Seeing how your grandpa can be categorized as a nw6, then it's definitely male pattern baldness. Who knows, maybe the lead sped up the balding process, but he still would've went bald anyways. You should be a little thankful that he's not your maternal grandfather though (like mine).... So at least there's a lesser chance that you've inherited the baldness gene.

 

[s.a.f]

ppl from the older generations knew very little of hair loss so they didn't know that male pattern baldness is only caused by genetics (other factors can speed up the process though). Because of this, they'll analyze the lifestyle of the bald person and think that some ulterior factor caused the hair loss. Tons of ppl used pomade and never went bald, and there are tons of miners who have full heads of hair.

Exactly this is no different from those mothers who tell their kids if they dont eat their vegatables they wont grow up big and strong, regardless of wether the parents themselves are big and strong. I was always told that hairloss was my fault and I must have stressed too much and that's why I went bald.

 

[tylerg6]

that's what logic made me assume (all your answers)...just thought i would throw it out there.

if i took a ton of iron supplements some weird stuff would probably start happening to me (i think hairloss is one).....i only asked because i wasn't sure if there was a chance that working in an iron mine would somehow let a higher dose seep into your system.....then again i have no idea what i am talking about.

 

[DammitLetMeIn]

that's what logic made me assume (all your answers)...just thought i would throw it out there.

if i took a ton of iron supplements some weird stuff would probably start happening to me (i think hairloss is one).....i only asked because i wasn't sure if there was a chance that working in an iron mine would somehow let a higher dose seep into your system.....then again i have no idea what i am talking about.

how fast are you thinning diffusely? we talkin years or months?

 

[Apoc]

There is no limit to bullshit that our grandmas can tell us why grandpa lost his hair. Mine told me that he was always nervous because of his job and that I'm going bald because I used to have long hair and I didn't comb them and stuff and that I'm just as nervous as him. So don't listen to your grandma, she may have a heart of gold but she doesn't have a clue about hairloss.

 

[DammitLetMeIn]

There is no limit to bullshit that our grandmas can tell us why grandpa lost his hair..

lmao :lol:

They do take a certain pleasure in discussing hairloss.

 

[So]

Copper toxicity can cause hair loss.

 

[The Gardener]

If you make rude facial gestures too often, one of these times your face is going to stay that way.