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Introduction to Baldness

A typical adult has about 100,000 hairs on the head. It is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs a day, although most us are not willing to part with any one of those.

Americans are estimated to spend approximately $1.5 billion on hair growth therapies annually.

Hair loss triggers several medical conditions such as the following:

Alopecia - Baldness or loss of hair.

Alopecia totalis - Loss of all the scalp hair.

Alopecia universalis - Loss of all body hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes.

Alopecia areata - Sudden loss of patches of hair

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) or Male pattern baldness - Is common in men. It is very often genetic. Associated with the presence of androgens- male sex hormones. Researchers suggest that the hair follicles of individuals susceptible to AGA may have receptors programmed to slow down or shut off hair production under the influence of androgens. Men can begin suffering hair loss as early as their teens or early twenties, while most women don't experience noticeable thinning until their forties or later.

Involutional alopecia - Gradual thinning of hair with age.

Telogen effluvium - Excessive shedding of hair, but not complete baldness, associated with various illnesses and drug treatments, rapid weight loss, anemia, stress, or pregnancy.

Trichotillomania - Patches of broken hairs and incomplete hair loss, usually on the scalp but sometimes involving the eyebrows. This is found especially in children. The child is most likely rubbing or pulling out hair.

Women also may experience a type of male pattern baldness. When women experience major hair losses, doctors usually ask them whether there is someone else in the family had baldness. It is usually not as extensive as in AGA and it does not occur until after menopause except in rare cases. 

All women experience some hair thinning as they grow older, especially after menopause, but in some it begins as early as puberty.

Most women lose some hair two or three months after having a baby because hormonal , changes prevent normal hair loss during pregnancy.