Facts

• Baldness happens when a person loses hair in places where there should be hair. Baldness is more common in men and may be the result of hormones, heredity or various other reasons. An average of 25 percent of men experience some sort of baldness in their 20s, and 2/3 of men after 60 years of age. The treatment for baldness depends on the type and cause. Alopecia is the medical term for baldness.
  
  

Types

• There are several types of baldness that can occur on the scalp. There are two main types of cicatricial alopecia, primary and secondary. Primary is when a certain section of hair follicles is destroyed and replaced by scar tissue. Secondary cicatricial alopecia occurs when there is a physical cause such as burns, radiation or an infection that affects the hair. There is permanent hair loss in both primary and secondary cicatricial alopecia.
  In men, androgenetic alopecia is also known as male pattern baldness, in which hair is lost in a definite pattern, usually above the temples and at the crown.
  Certain hair styles such as pony tails or twists, when worn over a long period of time, can cause traction alopecia hair loss. When hair is constantly pulled or plucked it can cause Trichotillomania.
  The entire scalp is hairless in Alopecia totalis.
  Alopecia areata is a common type of baldness that occurs in a circular pattern.
  
  

Misconceptions

• It is a common misconception that baldness is a gene transferred from your mother's side or that it skips a generation. Baldness may occur because of interaction of many different genes from both parents. Some think that baldness only occurs in men, but baldness can occur in men and women. It is also believed that cutting your hair will make the fibers stronger, when in fact hair is a dead fiber and by cutting your hair you are only making it shorter not increasing the chances of its growing back faster and longer.
  
  

Time frame

• Male pattern baldness is the most common form of baldness in men. The average time frame for male pattern baldness to begin is between the ages of 30 and 40. An average of 25 percent of men experience male pattern baldness in their 20s. In women pattern baldness can occur as early as 20 but it typically begins in women ages 40 to 50. Pattern baldness begins for men at the top front and for women the hair begins to thin throughout the top of the scalp.
  
  

Prevention/Solutions

• There are very limited methods for hair loss treatment or prevention. There are only two drug-based treatments for hair loss that have been approved by the U.S. food and Drug Administration, finasteride and minoxidil. They can help regrow or prevent further hair loss. It is harder to regrow hair than to maintain remaining hair, so it is best to use prevention products at the onset of hair loss.