Is Kate Middleton's Hair Worse Than Prince William's?

 

Photo by PR Photos

During a recent visit to a homeless charity in London, Prince William raised a few eyebrows by calling out his wife's "nightmare" hair. But perhaps it was just a bit of lighthearted retaliation for her earlier joke that he should cover his ever increasing bald spot with a tuft of alpaca wool. 

Kate Middleton's hair is of course beyond reproach, but many people wonder - why doesn't William simply fix his bald spot?

Hair loss is a treatable condition, and it wouldn't be difficult for Prince William to significantly reduce his bald spot and prevent further hair loss if he were to visit a qualified hair restoration physician (or 'trichologist' as it's known in the UK). For the Prince, a multi-therapy treatment regimen would likely work best and could include Propecia, Formula 82M and a NeoGraft FUE hair transplant. There are other options too like Vampire PRP therapy and low level laser therapy. All of these treatments have been proven effective at treating male pattern hair loss.

At just 32 years old, Prince William is a bit ahead of the curve when it comes to losing hair, but baldness is not uncommon in a man's 30s. Given the state of his father's (Prince Charles) hairline, this type of hair loss was not unexpected - and other men who have baldness on either side of their family should consider undergoing a HairDX genetic test to determine if they are also at risk for androgenetic hair loss.







 

Is Prince Harry Going Bald?

 

Photo by PR Photos

Is Prince Harry losing his hair?

As the 28-year old prince of Wales tours the US, there are signs he may be experiencing the same crown thinning that's been noticeable on his older brother, Prince William. 

Photo by PR Photos

Male pattern hair loss is the result of a genetic predisposition to androgen sensitivity - so the fact that both his brother and father (Prince Charles) suffer from hair loss, means he is at a higher risk. Recent photos of Harry clearly show significant thinning in the crown. Hopefully, he'll get started on an aggressive multi-therapy approach (Formula 82M, finasteride, low level laser therapy, etc.) to protect his hair line and prevent further recession.

Prince William - Royal Family's Hair Loss History

I recently found a great article from the U.K. Daily Mail newspaper, dating back to August of 2005, on the British royal family's hair loss history. 


From the 2005 Daily Mail article:

Prince Charles was 28 when he was first identified as suffering hair loss.

Princess Diana's father Earl Spencer was also thin on top - meaning the genetic odds appear to be stacked against Prince William keeping his hair. In fact, William's bald spot first became apparent at the age of only 20.

Prince Charles's father Prince Philip was 37 when he started to reveal that his hair was going the same way as that of his father, Prince Andrew of Greece.

And Charles's brother Prince Edward was just 21 when the world was alerted to his 'male pattern baldness'.

Read the full article here. 

Family history and a person's genetic makeup - particularly whether he has an androgen receptor on the X chromosome - is a determining factor in male pattern hair loss. To guess a person's chances of developing hair loss, family history provides a good clue. But patients can also utilize new genetic tests like the ones provided by HairDX to determine more conclusively if they are at a higher risk for hair loss. A few years ago, I did a story with the Today show about this test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3MAv6_AWa4.