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Baldness involves the state of lacking hair where it often grows, especially on the head. The most common form of baldness is a progressive hair thinning condition called androgenic alopecia or "male pattern baldness" that occurs in adult

Adult

The term adult has at least three distinct meanings. It can indicate a biologically grown or mature person. It may also mean a plant, animal, or person who has reached full growth or alternatively is capable of reproduction, or the classification legal adult, generally determined as a person who...

male humans and other species. The amount and patterns of baldness can vary greatly; it ranges from male and female pattern alopecia

Alopecia

Alopecia or hair loss is the medical description of the loss of hair from the head or body, sometimes to the extent of baldness. Unlike the common aesthetic depilation of body hair, alopecia tends to be involuntary and unwelcome, e.g., androgenic alopecia...

(androgenic alopecia, also called androgenetic alopecia or alopecia androgenetica), alopecia areata

Alopecia areata

Alopecia areata is a condition affecting humans, in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body, usually from the scalp.. Because it causes bald spots on the scalp, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness...

, which involves the loss of some of the hair from the head, and alopecia totalis

Alopecia totalis

Alopecia totalis is the loss of all head hair. Its causes are unclear, but it is an autoimmune disorder. Stress is sometimes thought to be a contributor to the hair loss caused by alopecia, however many people leading relatively stress-free lives have experienced the symptoms.-External...

, which involves the loss of all head hair, to the most extreme form, alopecia universalis

Alopecia universalis

Alopecia universalis or alopecia areata universalis is a medical condition involving rapid loss of all hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes. It is the most severe form of alopecia areata, with an incidence of .001%...

, which involves the loss of all hair from the head and the body.

Background, cause and incidence

Incidence of pattern baldness varies from population to population based on genetic background, environmental factors do not seem to affect this type of baldness greatly. One large scale study in Maryborough, Victoria, Australia showed the prevalence of mid-frontal hair loss increases with age and affects 57% of women and 73.5% of men aged 80 and over. According to Medem Medical Library's website, male pattern baldness affects roughly 40 million men in the United States. Approximately 25 percent of men begin balding by age 30; two-thirds begin balding by age 60. There is a 4 in 7 chance of getting the baldness gene.

Male pattern is characterized by hair receding from the lateral sides of the forehead, known as "receding hairline". Receding hairlines are usually seen in males above the ages of 20 but can be seen as early as late teens as well.

An additional bald patch may develop on top (vertex

Vertex (anatomy)

In arthropod and vertebrate anatomy, the vertex refers to the upper surface of the head.In humans, the vertex is formed by four bones of the skull: the frontal bone, the two parietal bones, and the occipital bone...

). The trigger for this type of baldness (called androgenetic alopecia
Androgenetic alopecia
Androgenic alopecia is a common form of hair loss in both female and male humans, chimpanzees, and orangutans. In male humans in particular, this condition is also commonly known as male pattern baldness. Hair is lost in a well-defined pattern, beginning above both temples...

) is DHT

Dihydrotestosterone

Dihydrotestosterone Full name: 5α-Dihydrotestosterone, abbreviating to 5α-DHT; INN: androstanolone is a biologically active metabolite of the hormone testosterone, formed primarily in the prostate gland, testes, hair follicles, and adrenal glands by the enzyme 5α-reductase by means of reducing the...

, a powerful sex hormone, body, and facial hair growth promoter that can adversely affect the prostate as well as the hair located on the head.

The mechanism by which DHT

Dihydrotestosterone

accomplishes this is not yet fully understood. In genetically-prone scalps, DHT initiates a process of follicular miniaturization. Through the process of follicular miniaturization, hair shaft width is progressively decreased until scalp hair resembles fragile vellus hair or "peach fuzz" or else becomes non-existent. Onset of hair loss sometimes begins as early as end of puberty

Puberty

Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body becomes an adult body capable of reproduction. Puberty is initiated by hormone signals from the brain to the gonads . In response, the gonads produce a variety of hormones that stimulate the growth, function, or transformation of...

, and is mostly genetically

Genetics

Genetics, , a discipline of biology, is the science of heredity and variation in living organisms. The fact that living things inherit traits from their parents has been used since prehistoric times to improve crop plants and animals through selective breeding...

determined. Male pattern baldness is classified on the Hamilton-Norwood scale

Hamilton-Norwood scale

The progression of male pattern baldness is generally classified on the Hamilton-Norwood scale, which ranges from stages I to VII.This measurement scale was first introduced by Dr. James Hamilton in the 1950s and later revised and updated by Dr. O'Tar Norwood in the 1970s.-See also:*Ludwig scale of...

I-VII.

It was previously believed that baldness was inherited from the maternal grandfather. While there is some basis for this belief, both parents contribute to their offspring's likelihood of hair loss. Most likely, inheritance is technically "autosomal dominant with mixed penetrance" (see 'baldness folklore' below)

There are several other kinds of baldness:

Traction alopecia
Traction alopecia
Traction alopecia is a form of alopecia, or gradual hair loss, caused primarily by pulling force being applied to the hair. This commonly results from the sufferer frequently wearing his/her hair in a particularly tight ponytail, pigtails, or braids...

is most commonly found in people with ponytail
Ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip or similar device, and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the undocked tail of a...

s or cornrows who pull on their hair with excessive force.
Trichotillomania is the loss of hair caused by compulsive pulling and bending of the hairs. It tends to occur more in children than in adults. In this condition the hairs are not absent from the scalp but are broken. Where they break near the scalp they cause typical, short, "exclamation mark" hairs.
Traumas such as chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy, in its most general sense, is the treatment of disease by chemicals especially by killing micro-organisms or cancerous cells. In popular usage, it refers to antineoplastic drugs used to treat cancer or the combination of these drugs into a cytotoxic standardized treatment regimen...

, childbirth, major surgery, poisoning, and severe stress may cause a hair loss condition known as telogen effluvium
Telogen effluvium
Telogen effluvium is characterized by excessive and early entry of hairs into the telogen phase.- Causes :Marked emotional or physiological stressful events may result in an alteration of the normal hair cycle and lead to diffuse hair loss, with causes including fever, childbirth, chronic illness,...

.
Worrisome hair loss often follows childbirth without causing actual baldness. In this situation, the hair is actually thicker during pregnancy due to increased circulating oestrogens. After the baby is born, the oestrogen levels fall back to normal pre-pregnancy levels and the additional hair foliage drops out. A similar situation occurs in women taking the fertility-stimulating drug clomiphene.
Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency (medicine)
Iron deficiency is one of the most commonly known forms of nutritional deficiencies. In the human body, iron is present in all cells and has several vital functions—as a carrier of oxygen to the tissues from the lungs in the form of hemoglobin, as a transport medium for electrons within the cells...

is a common cause of thinning of the hair, though frank baldness is not usually seen.
Radiation to the scalp, as happens when radiotherapy is applied to the head for the treatment of certain cancers there, can cause baldness of the irradiated areas.
Some mycotic
Fungus
A fungus is any member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. The Fungi are classified as a kingdom that is separate from plants, animals and bacteria...

infections can cause massive hair loss.

Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is a condition affecting humans, in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body, usually from the scalp.. Because it causes bald spots on the scalp, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness...

is an autoimmune disorder also known as "spot baldness" that can result in hair loss ranging from just one location (Alopecia areata monolocularis) to every hair on the entire body (Alopecia areata universalis).
Localized or diffuse hair loss may also occur in cicatricial alopecia (lupus erythematosus, lichen plano pilaris, folliculitis decalvans, central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia, etc.). Tumours and skin outgrowths also induce localized baldness (sebaceous nevus, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma).
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is the disease state in humans and in animals caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. Cretinism is a form of hypothyroidism found in infants.-Causes:...

can cause hair loss, typically frontal, and is particularly associated with thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows (syphilis also can cause loss of the outer third of the eyebrows)
Hyperthyroidism can also cause hair loss, which is parietal rather than frontal.
Temporary loss of hair can occur in areas where sebaceous cyst
Sebaceous cyst
A sebaceous cyst is a closed sac or cyst below the surface of the skin that has a lining that resembles the uppermost part of a hair follicle and fills with a fatty white, semi-solid material called sebum...

s are present for considerable duration; normally one to several weeks in length.

Evolutionary theories of male pattern baldness

There is no consensus

Scientific consensus

Scientific consensus is the collective judgement, position, and opinion of the community of scientists in a particular field of study. Consensus implies general agreement, though not necessarily unanimity. Scientific consensus is not by itself a scientific argument, and it is not part of the...

regarding the details of the evolution

Evolution

In biology, evolution is change in the genetic material of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. Though changes produced in any one generation are normally small, differences accumulate with each generation and can, over time, cause substantial changes in the population, a...

of male pattern baldness. The assertion that MPB is intended to convey a social message is supported by the fact that the distribution of androgen receptors in the scalp differs between men and women, and older men or women with high androgen levels often exhibit diffuse thinning of hair as opposed to male pattern baldness.

One theory, advanced by Muscarella and Cunningham, suggests baldness evolved in male

Male

Male refers to the sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...

s through sexual selection as an enhanced signal of aging and social maturity, whereby aggression

Aggression

In psychology, as well as other social and behavioral sciences, aggression refers to behavior between members of the same species that is intended to cause pain or harm. Predatory or defensive behavior between members of different species is not normally considered "aggression." Aggression takes a...

and risk-taking decrease and nurturing behaviours

Parenting

Parenting is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood...

increase. This may have conveyed a male with enhanced social status but reduced physical threat, which could enhance ability to secure reproductive partners and raise offspring to adulthood.

In a study by Muscarella and Cunningham , males and females viewed 6 male models with different levels of facial hair

Facial hair

Facial hair is a secondary sex characteristic in human males. Many men start developing facial hair in the later years of puberty or adolescence, approximately between 17-20 years old and most men do not finish developing a fully adult beard until their early 20s or even later...

(beard and mustache or none) and cranial hair (full head of hair, receding and bald). Participants rated each combination on 32 adjectives related to social perception

Perception

In philosophy, psychology, and the cognitive sciences, perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory information. It is a task far more complex than was imagined in the 1950s and 1960s, when it was predicted that building perceiving machines would take about a decade,...

s. Males with facial hair and those with bald or receding hair were rated as being older than those who were clean-shaven or had a full head of hair. Beards and a full head of hair were seen as being more aggressive and less socially mature, and baldness was associated with more social maturity. A review of social perceptions of male pattern baldness has been provided by Henss (2001) .

Other evolutionary hypotheses include genetic linkage

Genetic linkage

Genetic linkage occurs when particular genetic loci or alleles for genes are inherited jointly. Genetic loci on the same chromosome are physically close to one another and tend to stay together during meiosis, and are thus genetically linked. This is called autosomal linkage...

to beneficial traits unrelated to hair loss and genetic drift

Genetic drift

Genetic drift or allelic drift is the change in the relative frequency with which a gene variant occurs in a population due to random sampling and chance: the alleles in offspring are a random sample of those in the parents, and chance has a role in determining whether a given individual survives...

Non-human baldness

Baldness is not only a human trait. Some other primates, such as chimpanzee

Chimpanzee

Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...

s, stump-tailed macaque

Stump-tailed Macaque

The Stump-tailed Macaque , also called the Bear Macaque, is a species of macaque found in Southern Asia. It is primarily frugivorous, with its diet mostly consisting of fruits...

s, and South America

South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere...

n uakari

Uakari

Uakari is the common name for the New World monkeys of the genus Cacajao. The common name is believed to come from the indigenous term for "Dutchmen"; their red faces apparently reminded the locals of sun-burned Europeans...

show progressive thinning of the hair on the scalp after adolescence. Adult stump-tailed macaques, in fact, are commonly used in laboratories for the testing of hair-regrowth treatments.

The different predecessors of Old World and New World vultures convergently evolved

Convergent evolution

Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are similar in...

a bald head, preventing feathers from retaining material from the vulture's diet of rotting meat, as well as helping in heat regulation.

Male pattern baldness and genetics

Much research went into the genetic component of male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Research indicates that susceptibility to premature male pattern baldness is largely X-linked. Other genes that aren’t sex linked are also involved.

Large studies in 2005 and 2007 stress the importance of the maternal line in the inheritance of male pattern baldness. German researchers name the androgen receptor gene as the cardinal prerequisite for balding. They conclude that a certain variant of the androgen receptor is needed for AGA to develop. In the same year the results of this study were confirmed by other researchers . This gene is recessive and a female would need two X chromosomes with the defect to show typical male pattern alopecia. Seeing that androgens and their interaction with the androgen receptor are the cause of AGA it seems logical that the androgen receptor gene plays an important part in its development.

Other research in 2007 suggests another gene on the X chromosome, that lies close to the androgen receptor gene, is an important gene in male pattern baldness. They found the region Xq11-q12 on the X-chromosome to be strongly associated with AGA in males. They point at the EDA2R

EDA2R

Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 27 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the EDA2R gene.EDA-A1 and EDA-A2 are two isoforms of ectodysplasin that are encoded by the anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia gene. Mutations in EDA give rise to a clinical syndrome characterized by loss of...

gene as the gene that is mostly associated with AGA. This finding has been replicated in at least three follow independant studies.

Other genes involved with hair loss have been found. One of them being a gene on chromosome 3. The gene is located at 3q26. This gene is also involved in a type of baldness associated with mental retardation. This gene is recessive .

Another gene that might be involved in hair loss is the P2RY5. This gene is linked to hair structure. Certain variants can lead to baldness at birth while another variant causes “wooly hair

Wooly hair

Wooly hair is the presence of Negroid hair on the scalp of persons of non-Negroid background, hair which, under the microscope, appears tightly coiled, and presents at birth or infancy usually as a solitary problem inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion.- See also :* Wooly hair nevus* Naxos...

”.

Recent research confirmed the X linked androgen receptor as the most important gene(see the picture underneath). With a gene on chromosome 20 being the second most important determinant gene (snpedia)

In May 2009, researchers in Japan

Japan

is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

identified a gene

Gene

A gene is the basic unit of heredity in a living organism. All living things depend on genes. Genes hold the information to build and maintain their cells and pass genetic traits to offspring...

, Sox21

SOX21

Transcription factor SOX-21 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SOX21 gene.-Further reading:...

, that appears to be responsible for hair loss in people.http://uk.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUKTRE54O4D020090525

Psychological effects

Alopecia induced by cancer chemotherapy

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, in its most general sense, is the treatment of disease by chemicals especially by killing micro-organisms or cancerous cells. In popular usage, it refers to antineoplastic drugs used to treat cancer or the combination of these drugs into a cytotoxic standardized treatment regimen...

has been reported to cause changes in self-concept and body image

Body image

Body image is a term which may refer to a person's perception of his or her own physical appearance, or the interpretation of the body by the brain...

. Body image does not return to the previous state after regrowth of hair for a majority of patients. In such cases, patients have difficulties expressing their feelings (alexithymia

Alexithymia

Alexithymia from the Ancient Greek words λέξις and θύμος modified by an alpha-privative—literally "without words for emotions"—is a term coined by psychotherapist Peter Sifneos in 1973 to describe a state of deficiency in understanding, processing, or describing emotions.- Classification...

) and may be more prone to avoiding family conflicts. Family therapy can help families to cope with these psychological problems if they arise.

Psychological problems due to baldness, if present, are typically most severe at the onset of symptoms.

Some balding men may feel proud of their baldness, feeling a kindred relationship with famous charisma

Charisma

The word charisma refers to a trait found in persons whose personalities are characterized by a personal charm and magnetism , along with innate and powerfully sophisticated abilities of interpersonal communication and persuasion...

tic bald men, such as Yul Brynner

Yul Brynner

Yuliy "Yul" Borisovich Brynner was a Russian-born actor of stage and film, best known for his portrayal of the Mongkut, king of Siam, in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical The King and I on both stage and screen, as well as Rameses II in the 1956 Cecil B...

, Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis

Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor and producer. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles. He is well known for the role of John McClane in the Die Hard...

, Vin Diesel

Vin Diesel

Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...

, Sean Connery

Sean Connery

Sir Thomas Sean Connery , best known as Sean Connery, is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Award winning Scottish actor and producer....

, Jason Statham

Jason Statham

Jason Michael Statham is an English actor and martial artist, known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Revolver; and Snatch...

, Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart

Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor. He has had a distinguished career in theatre for nearly fifty years, including performances as various characters in Shakespearean productions...

, Ben Kingsley

Ben Kingsley

Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is an English actor. He has won four major motion picture acting awards, receiving Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards throughout his career...

, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Michael Chiklis

Michael Chiklis

Michael Charles Chiklis is an American actor, voice actor and occasional director. He is known for starring in the TV series The Commish and The Shield as well as for his role as The Thing in the Fantastic Four film series.-Early life:Chiklis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, the son of...

, Telly Savalas

Telly Savalas

Aristotelis “Telly” Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz...

or Larry David

Larry David

Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian, producer, and film director. David is the co-creator and producer of two successful television comedies, Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm .In 1989, he teamed up with Jerry Seinfeld to co-create the television series Seinfeld,...

. Baldness has, in recent years, become less of a liability due to an increasing fashionable prevalence of very short, or even completely shaven, hair among men in western countries.

Many companies have built a successful business selling products that reverse baldness, by allegedly regrowing hair, transplanting hair or selling hairpieces. While some of these products show improvements in a moderate amount of users, people should always be cautious about claims for hair regrowth, and research these products and alternatives before investing in expensive treatments.

Preventing and reversing hair loss

Treatments for the various forms of alopecia have limited success. Some hair loss sufferers make use of clinically proven treatments such as finasteride

Finasteride

Finasteride is a synthetic antiandrogen that acts by inhibiting type II 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone...

and topically applied minoxidil

Minoxidil

Minoxidil is a vasodilator medication known for its ability to slow or stop hair loss and promote hair regrowth...

(in solution) in an attempt to prevent further loss and regrow hair. As a general rule, it is easier to maintain remaining hair than it is to regrow; however, the treatments mentioned may prevent hair loss from Androgenetic alopecia, and there are new technologies in cosmetic transplant surgery and hair replacement systems that can be completely undetectable.

In the USA, there are only two drug-based treatments that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and one product that has been cleared by the FDA for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia

Androgenetic alopecia

Androgenic alopecia is a common form of hair loss in both female and male humans, chimpanzees, and orangutans. In male humans in particular, this condition is also commonly known as male pattern baldness. Hair is lost in a well-defined pattern, beginning above both temples...

, otherwise known as male or female pattern hair loss. The two FDA approved treatments are finasteride (marketed for hair loss as Propecia) and minoxidil.

Hair multiplication

Exercise

Regular aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise is exercise that involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body. Aerobic means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating process...

can help keep androgen levels (particularly free testosterone levels) naturally lower while maintaining overall health, lowering stress and increasing SHBG.

SHBG has been found to be significantly lowered in men with hair loss before the age of 30.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14758568?ordinalpos=18&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Weight training without aerobic exercise may increase testosterone.
One study suggests that both heavy exercise and increased fat intake, in combination, are required for increased free testosterone in strength trainers. Increased total or free testosterone would help them build and repair muscle, but may cause susceptible individuals to lose hair.

However, there is at least one study that indicates a decline in free testosterone combined with an increase in strength due to an (unspecified) strength training regimen.

Stress reduction

Stress reduction can be helpful in slowing hair loss. (see Baldness Folklore)

Immunosuppressants

Immunosuppressant

An immunosuppressant is any substance that performs immunosuppression of the immune system. They may either be exogenous, as immunosuppressive drugs, or endogenous, as e. g. testosterone...

s applied to the scalp have been shown to temporarily reverse alopecia areata, though the side effects of some of these drugs make such therapy questionable.

Saw palmetto

Saw palmetto extract has been demonstrated to inhibit both isoforms of alpha-5-reductase and does not interfere with the cellular capacity to secrete PSA

Polygonum multiflorum

Polygonum multiflorum, better known as Chinese knotweed or Flowery knotweed, is a widely used Chinese herb. It is said to rejuvenate the body, and is also commonly known as fo-ti, fo-ti-teng, ho shou wu, or he shou wu ....

is a traditional Chinese cure for hair loss. P. multiflorum contains stilbene glycosides similar to resveratrol

Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a phytoalexin produced naturally by several plants when under attack by pathogens such as bacteria or fungi. Resveratrol has also been produced by chemical synthesis and is sold as a nutritional supplement derived primarily from Japanese knotweed...

. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-4522.2006.00039.x

Head

One method of hiding hair loss is the "comb over

Comb over

A comb over or combover is a hairstyle worn by bald or balding men in which the hair on one side of the head is grown long and then combed over the bald area to minimize the display of baldness....

", which involves restyling the remaining hair to cover the balding area. It is usually a temporary solution, useful only while the area of hair loss is small. As the hair loss increases, a comb over becomes less effective. When this reaches a stage of extreme effort with little effect — it can make the person the object of teasing or scorn.

Another method is to wear a hat

Hat

A hat is a head covering. It may be worn for protection against the elements, for religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...

or a hairpiece — a wig or toupee

Toupee

A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...

. The wig is a layer of artificial or natural hair made to resemble a typical hair style. In most cases the hair is artificial. Wigs vary widely in quality and cost. In the United States, the best wigs — those that look like real hair — cost up to tens of thousands of dollars. Organizations also collect individuals' donations of their own natural hair to be made into wigs for young cancer

Cancer

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis...

patients who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy

Chemotherapy

or other cancer treatment in addition to any type of hair loss.

Eyebrows

Though not as common as the loss of hair on the head, chemotherapy, hormone imbalance, forms of alopecia, and other factors can also cause loss of hair in the eyebrows. Artificial eyebrows are available to replace missing eyebrows or to cover patchy eyebrows. Micro tattooing is also available.

Embracing baldness

Instead of concealing hair loss, one may embrace it. A shaved head will grow stubble

Stubble

Stubble is hair growth that is not long enough to cover the skin. It may refer to any regrowth of shaven body hair. It may also refer to the short stalks of grain or hay left in a field after a crop has been harvested...

in the same manner and at the same rate as a shaved face. The general public has become accepting of the shaved head as well, but female baldness is less socially acceptable.

Baldness folklore

There are many myths regarding the possible causes of baldness and its relationship with one's virility

Masculinity

Masculinity is manly character. It specifically describes men and boys, that is personal and human, unlike male which can also be used to describe animals, or masculine which can also be used to describe noun classes. When masculine is used to describe men, it can have degrees of comparison—more...

, intelligence, ethnicity, job, social class

Social class

Social classes are the hierarchical arrangements of people in society as economic or cultural groups. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political economists and social historians...

, wealth etc. While skepticism is warranted due to lack of scientific validation, some of these myths may have a degree of underlying truth.

"You inherit baldness from your mother's father."
- Previously, early baldness of the androgenic type was thought to be sex linked dominant
  Sex linkage
  Sex linkage is the phenotypic expression of an allele that is related to the chromosomal sex of the individual. This mode of inheritance is in contrast to the inheritance of traits on autosomal chromosomes, where both sexes have the same probability of expressing the trait...
  
  in males and to be sex linked recessive
  Sex linkage
  Sex linkage is the phenotypic expression of an allele that is related to the chromosomal sex of the individual. This mode of inheritance is in contrast to the inheritance of traits on autosomal chromosomes, where both sexes have the same probability of expressing the trait...
  
  in females.
- Research suggests that the gene for the androgen receptor, which is significant in determining probability for hair loss, is located on the X chromosome and so is always inherited from the mother's side. There is a 50% chance that a person shares the same X chromosome as their maternal grandfather. Because women have two X chromosomes, they will have two copies of the androgen receptor gene while men only have one. However, research has also shown that a person with a balding father also has a significantly greater chance of experiencing hair loss.

"Intellectual activity or psychological problems can cause baldness."
- This notion may be because cholesterol is involved in the process of neurogenesis and also the base material from which the body ultimately manufactures DHT. While the notion that bald men are more intelligent may lack credibility in the modern world, in the ancient world if a person was bald it was likely that he had an adequate amount of fat in his diet. Thus, his mental development was probably not stunted by malnutrition during his crucial formative years, he was more likely to be wealthy, and also have had access to a formal education. However, a sedentary lifestyle is less likely to correlate with intelligence in the modern world, and dietary fat content is not linked to economic class in modern developed countries. Another possibility is that, for some people, social standing accrued through intelligence can in mating compensate for physical attractiveness lowered by hair loss and therefore produce male offspring who are prone to both high intellect and hair loss. However, by way of better socioeconomic standing and in turn more access to hair loss treatments, an association between intelligence and actual hair loss is less likely in recent times. Of course, aside from all these scientific reasons, baldness could be linked to intellect or wisdom simply because people go bald as they age and become more experienced and less intelligent people tend to die younger.
- Total testosterone exhibits a positive relation to tactual-spatial abilities and to the degree of lateralization. Total testosterone is negatively correlated with verbal fluency. Testosterone in the saliva is also significantly positively correlated to tactual-spatial test scores and, in addition, to field independence. DHT and the ratio DHT/total testosterone are positively related to verbal fluency and negatively to the degree of lateralization of tactual-spatial performance.

"Baldness can be caused by emotional stress, sexual frustration etc."
- Emotional stress
  Stress (medicine)
  Stress is a biological term for the consequences of the failure of a human or animal to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether actual or imagined....
  
  has been shown to accelerate baldness in genetically susceptible individuals.
- Stress due to sleep deprivation
  Sleep deprivation
  Sleep deprivation, a sleep disorder characterized by having too little sleep, can be either chronic or acute. Long-term sleep deprivation causes death in lab animals...
  
  in military recruits lowered testosterone levels, but is not noted to have affected SHBG.
- Thus, stress due to sleep deprivation in fit males is unlikely to elevate DHT, which causes male pattern baldness. Whether it can cause hair loss by some other mechanism is not clear.
"Bald men are more 'virile' or sexually active than others."
- Levels of free testosterone are strongly linked to libido and also DHT levels, but unless free testosterone is virtually non-existent levels have not been shown to affect virility. Men with androgenic alopecia are more likely to have a higher baseline of free androgens. However, sexual activity is multifactoral, and androgenic profile is also not the only determining factor in baldness. Additionally, because hair loss is progressive and free testosterone declines with age, a person's hairline may be more indicative of their past than present disposition.

"Frequent ejaculation causes baldness"
- There are many misconceptions about what can help prevent hairloss, one of these being that frequent ejaculation
  Ejaculation
  Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from a penis, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. It is usually the final stage and natural objective of sexual stimulation, and an essential component of natural conception. In rare cases ejaculation occurs because of prostatic disease. Ejaculation may also...
  
  may have an influence on MPB. Depending on frequency, it can raise or lower plasma testosterone. The claim that frequent ejaculations can cause baldness is often viewed with skepticism.
"Standing on one's head alleviates baldness"
"Tight hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It may be worn for protection against the elements, for religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...

s cause baldness."
- While this may be a myth, hats do cause hair breakage and, to a lesser degree, split ends
  Trichoptilosis
  Trichoptilosis is the "splitting of hairs at the ends," according to Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary. Often referred to as "split ends." Comes from the Greek root "tricho" meaning hair and "ptilosis" meaning "falling out of the eyelashes." It is also called "schizotrichia."A split end is when...
  
  . Since hats are not washed as frequently as other clothing, they can also lead to scalp uncleanliness and possible Pityrosporum ovale contamination in men with naturally oily scalps. Some scalp infections, if left untreated, can cause hair loss.

Etymology

The term alopecia is formed from the Greek

Greek language

Greek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...

alópix (αλώπηξ), meaning fox

Fox

Fox is a common name for many species of carnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail ....

. The origin of this usage is because this animal sheds its coat twice a year.

The term bald likely derives from the English word balde, which means "white, pale", or Celtic ball, which means "white patch or blaze", such as on a horse's head.

Latest research

Research is looking into connections between hair loss and other health issues. While there has been speculation about a connection between early-onset androgenetic alopecia and heart disease, a review of articles from 1954 to 1999 found no conclusive connection between baldness and coronary artery disease. The dermatologists who conducted the review suggested further study was needed.

Environmental factors are under review. A 2007 study indicated that smoking may be a factor associated with age-related hair loss among Asian men. The study controlled for age and family history, and found statistically significant positive associations between moderate or severe androgenetic alopecia and smoking status.

In May 2007, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania unveiled a new scientific breakthrough that may cure baldness with stem cells. A product could be on the market within three years. http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/may07/hair-follicle-regeneration.html http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&brand=msnbc&vid=3b251041-8028-403d-a6fc-e749264afc01.The researchers discovered that the growth of new hair producing follicles could be stimulated in mice by damaging their skin.

In February 2008 researchers at the University of Bonn

University of Bonn

The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in 1818 the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number of undergraduate and graduate programs in a range of subjects. Its library holds...

announced they have found the genetic basis of two distinct forms of inherited hair loss, opening a broad path to treatments for baldness. The fact that any receptor plays a specific role in hair growth was previously unknown to scientists and with this new knowledge a focus on finding more of these genes may be able to lead to therapies for very different types of hair loss.

An eight month study performed at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Science Malaysia showed daily supplements of a patented tocotrienol (vitamin E) complex may increase hair growth in people with male pattern baldness by 42 percent.

In May 2009, researchers in Japan