Advertisement

Alopecia Health Channel

Feature Article

Illustrations for this article

Click on an image below to enlarge

Ringworm, tinea capitis - close-up

Alopecia areata with pustules

Show all 8 photos

Hair loss

Definition

Partial or complete loss of hair is called alopecia.

Alternative Names

Loss of hair; Alopecia; Baldness

Considerations

Hair loss usually develops gradually and may be patchy or diffuse (all over). Roughly 100 hairs are lost from your head every day. The average scalp contains about 100,000 hairs.

Each individual hair survives for an average of 4-1/2 years, during which time it grows about half an inch a month. Usually in its 5th year, the hair falls out and is replaced within 6 months by a new one. Genetic baldness is caused by the body's failure to produce new hairs and not by excessive hair loss.

Both men and women tend to lose hair thickness and amount as they age. Inherited or "pattern baldness" affects many more men than women. About 25% of men begin to bald by the time they are 30 years old, and about two-thirds are either bald or have a balding pattern by age 60.

Typical male pattern baldness involves a receding hairline and thinning around the crown with eventual bald spots. Ultimately, you may have only a horseshoe ring of hair around the sides. In addition to genes, male-pattern baldness seems to require the presence of the male hormone testosterone. Men who do not produce testosterone (because of genetic abnormalities or castration) do not develop this pattern of baldness.

Some women also develop a particular pattern of hair loss due to genetics, age, and male hormones that tend to increase in women after menopause.

Continue reading this article

More Articles

Alopecia areata (3 Videos, 4 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Alopecia areata is hair loss of unknown cause, characterized by round patches of complete baldness. Reviewer: Michael S. Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 10/26/2006
Email  |  Save

Female pattern baldness (4 Videos, 1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Female pattern baldness involves a typical pattern of loss of hair in women, caused by hormones, aging, and genetic predisposition. Reviewer: Michael S. Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/03/2006
Email  |  Save

Male pattern baldness (10 Videos, 2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Male pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss in men. It usually follows a typical pattern of receding hairline and hair thinning on the crown, and is caused by hormones and genetic predisposition. Reviewer: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Associate, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 04/12/2007
Email  |  Save

Use Healthline to search the web for more Alopecia information.

Health Videos

Hair Growth: Realistic Results
Hair loss has always been a top cosmetic concern for men but it's only in recent years that proven medical options have become available. What are the opti...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

The Psychological Impact of Hair Loss
Some people just take hair loss as a fact of life but for a lot of people it's a source of anxiety and depression. If hair loss is troubling you, what can ...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Beyond Genetics: What Else Can Cause Hair Loss?
For the vast majority of people who experience hair loss, genetics is the culprit. Other causes include autoimmune disorders, side effects from medications...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Herbal Supplements: Can They Fight Hair Loss?
If you're trying to put an end to your hair loss, you've probably encountered an endless array of products that claim to stop or even reverse the process. ...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Hair Transplantation Techniques
Hair transplants today look better than they did just a few years ago. That's because surgeons have learned exactly how hair normally grows. And they're no...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Getting Over the Hurdle: Helping Men Talk About Hair Loss
It's often hard for men to acknowledge they are losing their hair. But hair loss treatment is most effective when started early, so it's important for men ...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Beyond Hair Plugs: Modern Surgical Options For Hair Loss in Men
When medical treatments for hair loss fail to bring satisfactory results, some men turn to surgical treatments like hair transplantation and scalp reductio...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Medical Treatments for Hair Loss in Women
We've all seen those commercials for the "Hair Club for Men," prescription medications for male hair loss, and even men's spray-on hair. But rarely do we s...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Medical Treatments for Female Hair Loss
In a world where female hair loss is almost taboo, finding the right treatment can be confusing. Do the products that work for men work for women, too? Joi...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Hair Loss: Know the Facts
Hair loss: For some people it's a fact of life, for others it's a cosmetic tragedy. Whatever your opinion, the fact remains that 40 percent of all women an...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Choosing a Hair Loss Expert
If you are experiencing hair loss, you may have considered seeking expert help for your problem. But who should you turn to? And how do you know you're get...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Can Your Diet Help You Keep Your Hair?
Hair loss can be caused by genetic factors, certain illnesses or medications like chemotherapy. But you may be surprised to know that your diet can also pl...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Debunking Hair Loss Myths
Has anyone ever told you that excessive shampooing causes hair loss, or do you think that hair loss only happens after you turn 50? There are a lot of popu...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Treating Hair Loss: Over-the-Counter vs. Prescription
With so many people suffering from hair loss, it's no surprise that there are many different medications out there: from over-the-counter options to prescr...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Using Cloning Techniques In Hair Transplantation
Currently, the results from hair transplant surgery are limited by the amount of hair surgeons have to work with. Scientists are working on techniques to o...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Genetics and Hair Loss
You've probably heard people say that hair loss is passed down to men through their mother's side, or to women from their father's side, or you've heard ot...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Hair Loss Treatment: What Works?
Whether or not men admit it, hair—or lack of it—can form a big part of their self-image. Many accept hair loss as a fact of life, while others ...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

The Biology of Hair Loss
The average human scalp is covered by 100,000 hair follicles. If you've got all your hair, that may seem like a big number but when you start to lose it, t...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

How Hair Loss Medicines Work
Hair loss medicines work, but how? Listen in as experts explain how the approved medicines for hair loss help save the hair you have and regrow new ones. A...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Current Medical Treatments for Hair Loss
Advertisements on late night television and in the back pages of magazines may give the impression there are scores of drugs to combat hair loss. In realit...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Proven and Unproven Treatments for Hair Loss
There are currently two FDA-approved hair loss medications. Other treatments may work, but there is less convincing evidence. Still others are remedies tha...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Women Lose It, Too: The Causes of Female-Pattern Hair Loss
Though hair loss can be embarrassing and unpleasant for anyone, our society considers hair loss in women a sort of cosmetic disaster. But it's not just soc...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Cloning: The Future's Answer to Hair Loss
Cloning is not just for sheep anymore. Those among you who struggle with hair loss may benefit from the brave new technology that created Dolly just eight ...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

From Hair Care to Cloning: Non-Medical Treatments for Hair Loss ...
By the age of 50, approximately 50% of women will have to cope with hair loss. This is a natural part of aging, but it's a part most women would rather ski...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Unlocking the Genetics of Hair Loss
The genetic causes of male pattern baldness and other common diseases of genetic hair loss are more complex than most people think. Researchers are using t...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Cosmetic Options for Hair Loss
Hair loss can be a devastating and embarrassing condition. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are medications and surgical procedures that can help-...
Email  | Save

Play Videoplay video read transcript

Current News

Jaycie Sones learns powerful lesson
The News-Times | 7 days ago

She'd never had her hair cut before and she was excited about the prospect of a new look as she enters kindergarten in the fall.


Premature Hair Loss in Women
Buzzle.com | 10 days ago

Balding or premature hair loss in women can be a distressing problem, not only because it is so obvious but because it can knock a woman's confidence right down.


Your Hair or Your Wife?
Millville News | 16 days ago

Take my wife, please... That's what most men would say if given a choice between keeping their spouse or significant other and losing their hair.


Show all News

Create News Alert