Alopecia, that is the proper term for hair loss whether total or partial. Most people will just use the words bald or balding. No matter what you call it, before you can treat it you need to have all of the facts about hair loss. There are a few things that you must take into consideration to better understand your hair loss situation and the various options currently available for its treatment. The more information you have early on in treating hair loss, the better your odds for success.

If you are experiencing hair loss, you must determine what type of hair loss is occurring before you can properly understand and treat your hair loss. Much information is available concerning hair loss, but the following questions and facts can help you determine your type of hair loss. First, is your hair gradually thinning, occurring only in patches, or is it affecting all of the hair on your body? Second, are you experiencing natural hair loss? Keep in mind that the average person loses approximately one hundred hairs daily. Thus, since the average human scalp contains approximately one hundred thousand hairs, the loss of one hundred hairs a day is not a significant concern. Keep in mind also that the life span of the average hair is approximately four and a half years, and the growth rate is around one half an inch every six months. Hair has a life span of about five years at which time the hair will fall out naturally. The hair is then replaced in another six months time. If the body does not produce new hairs to replace the old hair as it falls out, then it is said that genetic hair loss is occurring. Persons experiencing genetic hair loss may also experience excessive hair loss.

Hair loss does not discriminate between men and women. Typically as people age they loose the same amount of hair, whether man or woman. The same is true for thinning of the hair. Inherited pattern baldness does tend to occur more for men than for women. One forth of all men will have begun to go bald by the age of thirty and two-thirds will have developed balding patters or be completely bald by the age of sixty. Male pattern baldness typically includes the receding hair line accompanied with thinning of the hair around the crown. The key factor contributing to male pattern baldness is testosterone. This means that men lacking n testosterone due to castration of genetic abnormalities will not develop male pattern baldness.

There are many causes of hair loss this is why it is extremely important to consider all available information on potential causes of hair loss before assuming that your hair loss is inherited. While baldness is typically the result of to aging, heredity or testosterone there are numerous other factors that must not be ignored. These include hormonal changes, serious illnesses, medications, excessive shampooing or blow drying, stress-either emotional or physical, nervous habits, burns and even parasites such as ringworm.