What causes hair loss?
What is male pattern baldness?
Can male pattern hair loss be treated?
Can pattern hair loss in women be treated?
Can stress cause hair loss?
Is hair loss reversible?

What causes hair loss?

Hair loss can be caused by a variety of medical conditions, including androgenetic alopecia which is influenced by heredity and is more severe in men, alopecia areata and other forms of alopecia. Additionally, a variety of infectious diseases, inflammatory disease and abrupt changes to the body's internal or external environment ("effluviums") may also lead to temporary or permanent hair loss.

What is male pattern baldness?

Male pattern baldness is the common term for the medical condition androgenetic alopecia, in which hair thinning and loss occurs at the hairline and or on top of the head over a variable time-period. This condition occurs in men and women and has a genetic factor, although it is not known whether inheritance from the mother or father plays a greater role in developing pattern baldness.

Can male pattern hair loss be treated?

Propecia and Rogaine are the two main FDA-approved drugs for treating pattern hair loss. Prescription-only Propecia ( finasteride ) is the only prescription treatment indicated for male pattern hair loss. Treatment with Propecia has been shown to slow or stop hair loss, and in some cases may even promote hair regrowth. Finasteride, Propecia's active ingredient, works by preventing formation of DHT, a hormone involved in hair thinning and hair loss.

Non-prescription Rogaine ( minoxidil ) is also used to treat male pattern hair loss, although less is known about its mechanism of action.
Other treatment approaches for male pattern hair loss include hair transplant surgery, non-surgical hair replacement and hair cosmetics.

Can pattern hair loss in women be treated?

Although women with androgenetic alopecia may experience less total hair loss than affected men, the psychological effects of hair loss can be severe. Rogaine has been shown to be an effective treatment for women with androgenetic alopecia.

The treatment approaches of hair transplant surgery, non-surgical hair replacement and hair cosmetics are also effective for women.

Can stress cause hair loss?

The answer to this question depends on your definition of "stress". Hair loss can be caused by abrupt changes to the body's internal or external environment, such as crash diets, major surgery, drug side-effects (particularly chemotherapy) and pregnancy, among others. This type of hair loss is called an effluvium and is often temporary.

Is hair loss reversible?

If you have already lost a significant amount of hair, it is highly unlikely that any treatment other than hair transplant surgery will lead to significant hair regrowth in the affected area. However, clinical studies have shown that Propecia and Rogaine may in some cases promote some hair regrowth.