baLDNESS
Baldness, also known as pattern-baldness, affects most of the population. It is a problem for both sexes, although it is often more noticeable on the male scalp than the female's scalp.
Baldness can occur for a number of reasons, but is more often associated with ageing. Falling levels of the male hormone, testosterone, which is present in both men and women, kick-starts a conversion process that changes the testosterone into dihydrotestosterone during later life. This new hybrid hormone triggers hair loss and prevents new hair growth from taking place. People deficient in iron and pregnant women may also suffer hair loss, but, unlike age-related baldness, this is temporary and hair can be re-grown.
There are products available to help stimulate hair growth for bald scalps. Although most are unproven to work, some people claim to have had limited success with products containing minoxidil. The treatment must be continuous however, as should you stop any newly grown hair will fall out. More successful are products that prevent baldness in the first place by blocking the testosterone - dihydrotestosterone conversion process.
If you would like more information on baldness and treatments for baldness, please review the resources on our web site.