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Balding, hair thinning and hair loss are problems which most men and many women will have to face at some point in life. Often losing hair is the cause of intense stress. People fear that hair loss will make them less attractive and they associate going bald with getting older. Hair loss in women and early-onset male hair loss cause particular distress. Yet despite this, and despite the huge number of companies researching products to prevent baldness, we still know relatively little about the cause of hair loss.

The most common types of male-pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness are comparatively well understood, in that we know when they are most likely to happen and can trace some of the genetic associations. Male-pattern baldness usually occurs later on in life, though hair thinning may start as early as the twenties. Female-pattern baldness usually occurs after the menopause, with hormone changes a probable cause of hair loss. However, there are several other less common types of baldness which can occur earlier in life.

Toxic alopecia is a form of balding which occurs in response to stress. This stress can be psychological or physiological - for example, stress caused by chemotherapy. Toxic alopecia may just be temporary, but it is difficult to deal with because going bald causes stress in itself. The early appearance of grey hair can also be caused by stress.

Alopecia areata is a disease of unknown origin which can cause hair thinning and hair loss across all areas of the body, but usually from the scalp. It causes patchy balding but does not leave scars. Scarring alopecia involves one of several different conditions which destroy hair follicles and replace them with scar tissue, causing permanent and irreversible balding. Menopausal changes and lupus erythematosus can both be the cause of hair loss of this type. Nonscarring alopecia is much more amenable to treatment.

Whatever the cause of hair loss in a given situation, you can bet that most people will seek a hair loss solution. But what kind of hair loss remedy is most likely to work? In many cases, hair loss shampoo will reduce the frequency of loss, being kinder to thinning hair. Some people find that they can successfully take vitamins for hair loss. Vitamins for hair loss are especially useful in treating women's hair loss, since female hair loss is likely to be caused by hormonal changes which are susceptible to treatment. However, since male-pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss, most of the products on the market are aimed at tackling male hair loss.

In most cases, whatever the cause of hair loss, rapid balding is not inevitable. If you're going bald, it's worth taking your time to find the right hair loss solution. Face up to the problem soon enough, and you can stop hair loss.