Common Baldness

The term "common baldness" refers to ‘male-pattern baldness’ or ‘permanent pattern baldness.’ and the most common type of hair loss in men is male-pattern baldness.

This type if hair loss is usually inherited from father to son. Those men who begin losing their hair at an early stage will usually develop a more extensive baldness while they are quite young.

Hair loss in male-pattern baldness frequently results in the man's hair line receding before baldness appears at crown of the head.   

Common baldness accounts for 90% of hair loss in both men and women. Its causes are unknown, although experts consider contributing factors are due to heredity, hormonal or just down to the age of the person.

Unlike other types of hair loss which can be due to disease, medication or other non-hereditary reasons, common baldness hair loss is permanent.

Women can develop female-pattern baldness where the hair becomes very thin over their whole scalp.     

Hair is considered to be a conspicuous element across many cultures with regards to cultural definitions, youth, fashion and sexuality.

It is therefore not surprising that most people prefer not to lose their hair and can be quite devastated when it happens. 

People lose approximately 50 to 100 strands of hair every day, which has a negative effect generally because new hairs replace those that have been shed.

However, as a person gets older, the process of natural re-growth slows down and often stops completely. This is when thinning and baldness starts to show.

Sometimes though it can be due to medical reasons and if you suspect this is the case, you should consult your physician. 

Just like the skin and nails, hair goes through a cycle of rest and growth, so excessive hair loss can occur any time if this cycle is disturbed by illness, stress etc. 

There may be ways to treat certain types of hair loss. Your doctor may ask you specific questions concerning your diet, medication you are taking and whether or not you have suffered a recent illness.

Recognising and treating illness and infections can also help the hair loss to stop. Hair loss may well also be prevented by correcting hormonal balances in the body.

He will also ask you how you care for your hair. If you are a woman, he will also ask you about your menstrual cycle, menopause or pregnancies. You will also receive an examination which will try to ascertain the cause of your hair loss.

Blood tests and biopsies of the scalp may also be required to establish the cause of your problem.    

Specific treatments may be available, depending on what type of hair loss you have suffered. If your doctor believes a medicine is causing you to lose your hair, he will try to prescribe a different type of medication.  

Certain medications might help slow down the development of common baldness, such as Minixidil. This is available without prescription and can be applied to the scalp. It can be effective for both men and women.

Finasteride is available via prescription only and comes in pill form. However this is only available for men. You may have to wait up to six months before you can see if the medicines are working.   

There are alternative methods which can be tried if medication is not available for the type of hair loss you have.

Try experimenting with different hairstyles, wigs, hairpieces, hair weaves or hair replacement (artificial). They are very natural looking nowadays and can be very effective.