Recovering From Baldness

There are many different types -- and causes -- of hair loss, and it can happen to both men and women. The impact that it has on people can be devastating -- but it does not have to be. You can handle it gracefully and start enacting strategies to bring your hair back.

There is not one set time when one should expect to experience hair loss. Some people begin losing it in their 20's, while others do not start to lose it until their 40's or 50's. If you look at pictures of your maternal grandfather, you can get some clue as to what might happen to you, because that is the genetic path that it will take to you, if it takes one at all. However, because every person is different, there is not one particular year on your biological calendar when you should expect the hair to start going away.

Some hair loss happens as the result of medication. Cancer patients especially are at risk for losing their hair, as a result of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. There are some high blood pressure medications that can also cause hair loss, so make sure that you talk to that about your doctor before starting a medication regimen. However, there is also a hormone that starts to fade out in our body that keeps the hair in place as we age. This is the hair loss that the treatments such as Rogaine attempt to stem, by replacing that hormone.

Not all hair loss is genetic. Sometimes we lose hair as the result of a traumatic, frightening event. At other times (as mentioned before) medical treatments can cause hair loss. Some hair loss, though, is a "gift" from the older generations, and it is extremely difficult to avoid.

One of the hottest areas in medical research has to do with cosmetic procedures. The protein RDG2 is one that has been proven to block hair growth, and treatments are under way (in the research and development stages) to help block the activity of this protein. If these work, then a sale for a "cure" for baldness could begin as soon as the Food and Drug Administration grants its approval for the treatment. This would make life much easier for many of the bald people out there, who now rely on a regimen of creams and other medications to try and reverse the trend of baldness.

Every man is different, and so hair loss will not necessarily take place at the same spot on everyone. A lot of things contribute to this difference, such as the places where the RDG2 becomes potent, genetic factors, and other things like wearing ball caps all the time or pulling hair tight for a ponytail.

If you are thinking that you may be facing hair loss soon, it is better to prepare beforehand, so that you can handle it more smoothly. This article has answers to a number of questions about baldness; our hope is that it has brought you the information you need.