Description & Symptoms

The medical term for hair loss is alopecia. Hair loss is commonly considered a men's health topic (two thirds of all males can expect some hair loss by age 60), but women make up 40 percent of all hair loss sufferers. The most common type of hair loss is called androgenic alopecia, which is an inherited tendency to stop producing new hairs.

Although androgenic alopecia occurs in both men and women, the pattern of hair loss is different. Male hairlines tend to recede resulting in male pattern baldness, while in women the hair becomes thinner over the whole scalp, and the frontal hairline is usually spared.

Treatment

Topical minoxidil (Rogaine) is one of the most common hair loss treatments, and is available over the counter in formulations for men and women. Minoxidil can stimulate hair growth and slow down hair loss, but it cannot "cure" baldness. It may take up to 6 months to see any results. Hair transplants may also be used as a response to hair loss.

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