Hair Loss Triggers

You mention “triggering” the genetic switch and “turning on the switch for male pattern hair loss”. Besides hormones and age, what else do you think could turn the switch? I ask because no one in my family has lost hair. My older brothers all have full hair. Yet, I appear to be losing mine, and the dermatologist said my older brothers would be the best gauge for how my hair will be. That was encouraging, but I already appear worse than what they have and they are years older. Could using Xanax one time trigger the gene? Could a few stressful months trigger the gene? If so – do you think it can ever be stopped without medication or am I doomed to bald and bald and bald progressively more due to a onetime mistake with Xanax I took to fly?

I highly doubt Xanax would trigger hair loss. I believe you are too focused on the “trigger” that can cause hair loss, and are missing the big picture. If you have the gene (or genes) for hair loss, then it doesn’t really matter what you do, because you will lose hair. You really do not have much control over your genetic fate. While extreme stress (physical illness or metal stress) can precipitate the start of the hair loss, it is still tied in with one’s genetic predisposition.