Many factors can contribute to the condition

Though many high-profile men -- and even some women -- have chosen to go bald in recent years, losing hair isn't usually a matter of choice, nor is it always desired.

"In talking to most men, you'll find that when they have a full head of hair and they start to realize that they're losing hair that it is still emotionally traumatic for them to deal with it," said Amy McMichael, an associate professor of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

And "there is a big stigma attached to women losing their hair," McMichael said. "It's very emotional for them."

Here are some of the conditions that can cause hair loss:

Pattern hair loss
When people think of pattern hair loss, they usually think of a man with a receding hairline, but the condition actually affects both sexes....

Plugs are out; drugs add options; future might offer cloning

No more rugs, no more plugs. That's the new mantra of the hair-replacement industry, which has undergone huge changes during the past few years -- and anticipates even more momentous change in the next decade.

Hairpieces are virtually a thing of the past. Much ridiculed hair plugs, which sprout from bald pates like tufts of sawgrass on desert dunes, are being replaced with transplanted hair follicles, for a more natural look. At least one new hair-growth drug is being tested. And within a decade, scientists predict, hair cloning will be a reality.

For Bernie Cylc, a 36-year-old computer programmer from Orlando, Fla., these advances are most welcome.

"I was about 27 when I started losing hair at a rapid rate," says Cylc. "I looked in the mirror, and I looked a lot older than 27. It just wasn't me."

Three years later, balding from his forehead to his crown, he had his first hair transplant. A second followed four years later. Total cost: $14,000.

"I'd do it all over again," says Cylc. "You can't put a price on the confidence I feel now."

In the United States, about 35 million men younger than 50 have discernible hair loss -- and 90 percent of those men say losing their hair bothers them, says Ken Washenik, a dermatologist and medical director at the Bosley Medical Institute, a national hair-restoration company with a consulting office in Orlando.

Read more:

http://www.freep.com/news/health/hair21e_20041221.htm

Micrografting A Success For Many People

Hair loss is a sensitive issue for men and women, but there is some good news.

Hair restoration has come a long way, and now there are even better methods that cost less.

Rick Golden, 49, is self-conscious about his thinning hairline.

He had hair transplants eight years ago but he didn't like the results.

"It wasn't that I was totally dissatisfied with it but I've certainly learned that it can be a lot better," said Golden

Now, Golden is happy with his hairline thanks to a procedure called micrografting.

The doctor removes a strip of scalp from the back of the head.

That strip is then cut into sections and microscopically divided into tiny grafts of one, two, or three hair follicles each.

The surgeon makes hundreds of tiny incisions in the scalp and the grafts are carefully placed into the incisions with tweezers.

The result looks a lot better than the old hair plugs.

"We are able to cut the grafts very, very small and get excellent survival, so that has allowed us to place them very close together compared to the old style, where there was significant space between the grafts," said Dr. Franklin Weinstein.

And doctors claim this procedure looks even better over time.

"In the old days when you got the plug, especially with men, your hair continued to thin as it does in all men," Dr. Steven Hopping said. "The plugs became more noticeable. They were like these big islands of hair amongst this thinning scalp."...

Read more:

http://www.nbc10.com/news/3973690/detail.html

Washington, DC, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Britain's Prince William -- the brother who looks like a fairy tale hero, not the carrot-topped tabloid-press bad boy -- needs more coffee in his life. On his head.

Concern about his receding hairline is apparently the reason the eventual heir to the English throne has taken up the baseball cap as his interim crown. Research shows he can safely cast it aside, to display tousled golden locks whose retreat will be stabilized -- so long as he rubs his head regularly with coffee.

A German study just published reveals that treating the scalp with caffeine products can stop men from going bald.

Read more:

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20041207-104526-7887r.htm

While there are many causes of hair loss – including disease and genetic predisposition – the most common reason men and women lose their hair is due to poor cosmetic grooming practices. Coloring, styling, brushing and even scratching can all add up to damaged hair. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to get your hair back on track.

Speaking at ACADEMY ’04, the American Academy of Dermatology’s summer scientific session in New York, dermatologist Zoe D. Draelos, M.D., a clinical associate professor in the department of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., addressed the most common hair care do’s and don’ts.

“Hair damage is a result of trauma to the physical structure of the hair that occurs every day,” explained Dr. Draelos. “The first step is to recognize the factors responsible for lack luster hair in order to learn how you can change your hair care regimen to improve it.”

Read more:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=11515