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Truths About Baldness

About 99 percent of the men and women who are bald have a condition known as male or female pattern baldness. Whereas hair loss that results from disease or other nonhereditary factors--such as chemotherapy treatment--it may not be permanent; common pattern baldness is permanent. Heredity, hormones and age are all contributing factors, but the exact cause of common baldness is unknown.

  1. As We Age

    • For most people, a loss of 50 to 100 strands of hair each day is barely noticeable. New growth takes its place. As we age, however, growth of new hair slows or stops altogether. Men may first notice a bit of thinning along the hairline. Women generally notice less hair all over, rather than a specific bald patch.

    Myths About Baldness

    • It is not inherited only through your mother's side of the family. Baldness can be inherited through either side of the family, or both. Look at the people in your family and you can probably predict whether or not you'll be bald. Wearing a hard hat or baseball cap won't suffocate your hair and cause it to fall out. You won't put strain on the roots by wearing your hair long. You can't massage the roots and stimulate hair growth. Finally, don't be afraid to shampoo as often as you like. Doing so will not cause you to go bald.

    Treatments for Hair Loss

    • If hair loss is due to certain illnesses, medication, pregnancy, poor diet, stress, or improper hair care, it's possible that the hair will grow back. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have. In some cases, lifestyle changes and nutrition supplements can make a difference.

    Surgical Solutions

    • Although there is no cure for common baldness, you don't have to live with it if you don't like the look. One option, though it's an expensive one, is a hair transplant. Surgeons take tiny plugs (grafts) of hair-bearing skin, usually from behind your ears, and transplant them into your scalp. This is an outpatient procedure, requiring no hospitalization and only local anesthesia, with a mild sedative to aid in discomfort. A surgeon can typically transplant 60 to 100 plugs per session. Each plug is about the size of a pencil eraser. Typically, three or four sessions are required to cover a bald area, at a cost of at least $2000 per session. Some people with common baldness opt for scalp reduction surgery which, as the name implies, involves the removal of a small patch of loose, bald skin.

    Other Treatments for Baldness

    • Minoxodil, the active ingredient in products like Rogaine, is used to treat high blood pressure. Regular use increases blood flow and improves circulation, and some say it encourages the regrowth of hair. For a totally noninvasive solution, you might want to consider a wig or hairpiece. There are a variety of colors and styles available to create a look that's natural.

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