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Author:
Sara Chambers

Millions of Americans are affected by thinning hair and hair loss, called alopecia. Typically we think of men with the most common form of hair loss, male-pattern-baldness, as having a trait that is inherited from family members. But hair loss is not just a male problem. Hair loss can also affect women and children for a variety of reasons.

Hair Loss Causes

Thinning hair and sudden hair loss can be caused by any number of very different reasons. Stress related to illnesses can bring about a sudden change in one's hair and even affect a temporary hair loss. Hormone imbalances due to illness, even pregnancy and childbirth can cause another temporary form of hair loss that typically lasts only a brief period of time and is rather characteristic. We all are familiar with hair loss from chemotherapy treatment, and there are other drugs related to hair loss, as well.

Male-pattern-baldness, the type we associate with familial ties, is typically blamed on the paternal lineage, but there is an increasing body of scientific evidence supporting the idea that this type of hereditary hair loss may in fact be a product of the maternal lineage. A complex array of hormonal issues is to blame for male baldness of this type.

Hair loss is best discussed with a physician who can work with you to determine the cause characteristic to your case and explore the various treatment options available.

Hair Replacement

A popular and very viable treatment option for hair loss, especially in men with male pattern baldness, is surgical hair replacement. Healthy hair follicles are literally harvested from the back of the scalp and transplanted to the hairline and top of the scalp. A good portion of this treatment is determined on a patient-by-patient basis and is part medicine, part artistry on the part of the physician.

Products

For many though, including women and children, hair loss may not be treatable with surgical replacement methods. In these cases, there are scads of products on the market, some viable, some downright hokey.

Rogaine, or minoxidil, was originally developed as a treatment for high blood pressure. A documented side effect, though, was an increase in hair growth on various parts of the body. Since the drug was not very effective at treating its initial problem, researchers developed it instead as a treatment for hair">http://www.stophairlossblog.com">hair loss. Taken in pill form, the brand name Rogaine has not been effective at replacing hair in totally bald areas of the scalp, but has been proven to thicken hair on other areas of the scalp where thinning has occurred.

The other mainstream product besides Rogaine is marketed under the brand name Propecia, or finasteride. Propecia was developed to treat prostate problems, but was observed to be more effective at stimulating hair growth, the same as monoxidil. The compounds in finasteride bind with a man's testosterone and alter the hormonal makeup, allowing hair re-growth.

About the author:

Sara Chambers is a marketing consultant and an internet content manager for http://www.stophairlossblog.com">http://www.stophairlossblog.com">http://www.stophairlossblog.com

| Article Keywords: Hair Loss

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Hair Loss... Female Hair Loss: Hair Transplant Female hair loss is often overlooked as hair loss seem to afflict more males than females. Many people believe it just doesn’t happen, but it does. The effects on a woman are devastating. Much emphasis has been placed on the physical looks of a woman that when she begins to lose her hair, it is traumatic to her self esteem. There are some good options to help a woman who is losing her hair. Most of the treatment methods are just for hair loss remedy and prevention. In certain cases, these hair loss remedies may not be effective. Many women in these situations would want to get back the hair they have lost. No one likes to wear a wig everyday. That is where the option of surgery comes in. In a hair transplant surgery, there are two ways hair is replaced. Depending on how the hair is lost, the methods can be follicle transplant or larger area transplant. In a follicle type, transplant individual hairs are transplanted to the thinning areas. In the other method, flaps of skin containing live hair are transplanted. Each method ends with the same desired result of replacing lost hair. It is important to find out if hair transplant can meet your needs and be the answer to your hair loss. If you lose hair mainly from the top of your head then you have experienced the correctable form of hair loss. This is because the areas where you have not lost hair can be donor areas for the hair to be transplanted with little worry that they will grow once transplanted. The second type of hair loss is a thinning throughout the entire head and this way can not be corrected through surgery. Hair transplant surgery is not always the answer for everyone. Some may have to have multiple surgeries to get the desired results. Deciding if you are a candidate for hair loss...