Baldness

The most common type of baldness is called male-pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia.  It is a common disorder that affects both men and women.  It is characterized in men by thinning of the hair above the temples in the front of the scalp so that the hairline recedes and reshapes.  Hair loss in women is usually characterized by  thinning of the hair on the scalp from the forehead to the crown without the receding hairline.  This tends to affect about half of all men and up to 75% of postmenopausal women.  Risk factors include genetics, poor diet, and lack of exercise.  Some cases are caused by hormonal imbalance, thyroid disease or anemia.  Treatment of this condition by medication or surgical hair replacement is difficult.