Hair loss and balding seems to be a common problem today and it seems to affect both women and men! Hair loss usually begins in the front temporal areas, progressing to the crown. The rate of loss varies between people, and the process can take from 5 to 25 years.

The first stage in understanding hair loss and fine hair problems is to understand how hair grows. Hair thickness is a combination of hair diameter and hair density, you can have fine hair but lots of it or thick coarse hair which is relatively sparce. Most of us are somewhere between the two. Hair is made up of three layers, the cuticle, cortex and medulla. The cuticle is made up of overlaid scales of keratin and the smoother the scales the more it shines. The cortex is the body and strength of the hair shaft, its interlocking fibres lay under the cuticle and are were perms and permanent colours do their work. The innermost layer (medulla) is not present in the finest of hair, for example Scandinavian blonde hair.

Hair loss is primarily caused by a combination of aging, a change in hormones, and a family history of baldness. As a rule, the earlier hair loss begins, the more severe the baldness will become. Hair loss can also be caused by burns or trauma, in which case hair replacement surgery is considered a reconstructive treatment, and may be covered by health insurance. 

There are a number of reasons for hair loss in both men and women. Diet, environment, stress, past surgeries, past experiences etc. are some of the few factors which cause hair loss. Though genetics plays a major role for hair loss (male pattern baldness), there are a number of hair loss conditions for which a number of hair loss restorations treatments are available both for men and women. Though the underlying causes for male and female pattern hair loss are same, there is some basic difference with regards to the physiology and genetics of the condition.

Baldness is often blamed on poor circulation to the scalp, vitamin deficiencies, dandruff, and even excessive hat-wearing. All of these theories have been disproved. It's also untrue that hair loss can be determined by looking at your maternal grandfather, or that 40-year-old men who haven't lost their hair will never lose it.

If there's a reversible cause, it's normally possible to stop hair loss. For instance, if it's caused by anaemia you can stop hair loss by replenishing the body's iron stores. A huge number of treatments have been tried to slow down and even reverse the process of male pattern hair loss - some are successful, others aren't. But many men find their hair loss slows down or stops for no apparent reason at a certain age anyway.

If your hair loss is mild to moderate, the most important thing to do is weigh the immediate stressors in your life against how much support you're giving your body. Start with an honest inventory of your healthy and not-so-healthy habits. Then take some steps toward shifting the balance to the support side.

It is essential to have a healthy scalp to avoid hair loss and aiding new hair growth.

Complaints of the hair and scalp are very common and I would always recommend that you treat any problem as soon as it appears as a minor problem can develop into a more serious condition if left untreated. Early diagnosis will give us the best possible opportunity to help you by providing you with the most effective and up-to-date trichological medication.

http://www.baldness.org.uk/