Hair Loss – Treatment for Hair Loss

People who notice hair falling out, thinning, or appearing in large amounts on their comb or brush should consult a dermatologist. With correct diagnosis, many people with hair loss can be helped. A dermatologist will evaluate a patient’s hair-loss problem to find the cause so they can determine whether the problem will resolve on its own or medical treatment is needed. Baldness or hair loss is usually something only adults need to worry about. But in a few cases, teens lose their hair, too — and it may be a sign that something’s going on.

More than half of men and women in the United States experience hair loss. About 30% of people have hair loss by age 30 years, and about 50% have hair loss by age 50 years. Hair loss is so common that most of the time it is considered a normal variation and not a disease. Other animals closely related to humans, such as the chimpanzee, also lose their hair.

The normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter (less than half an inch) per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. About 10 percent of the hair on your scalp, at any one time, is in a resting phase. After 2 to 3 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place.