A bald-headed man can walk down the street and no one will bat an eye. Not so for a woman experiencing hair loss. I tend to think that hair loss with men is more of a cosmetic issue; whereas, with women it is actually more medical because the psychological effects can be devastating.

While estimates vary, it is generally believed that more than 30 million women in America experience noticeable hair loss or thinning hair, but most women do not talk about the problem and don’t know where to get good advice.

Men’s hair loss is simple, with more than 90% of all cases caused by dihydrotestosterone, a metabolite of testosterone, which attacks and shrinks the hair follicle via the blood stream. With women, it is a process of elimination. Here’s what I recommend you do if you are concerned:

~ Make sure your hair loss/thinning hair is real and not perceived. You will never have more hair than you did in your early 20’s. Combine this with the fact that it is normal to lose 50-100 hairs a day. These lost hairs stimulate new hair to grow. If you shampoo your hair infrequently, then all that hair in the drain when you do shampoo could be part of a normal hair loss process.

~ Review your family history. Do your parents, siblings or grand parents have a history of hair loss? Hair loss is genetic, although it can skip generations. The gene can come from either your mother or father.

~ Visit an endocrinologist and have a blood test. This will help determine whether it could be a hormonal, metabolic or a medical problem.

~ Protect your hair and scalp. I recommend you wear a hat and use styling products with UV protection. Sun damages the hair and scalp. Your scalp is like top soil – you can’t grow good grass without good top soil.

~ Only consider proven remedies (and beware of miracle cures). There is no quick, easy solution. The proven solutions for women include: creative styling; thickening shampoos and conditioners; minoxidil based therapy regimens, such as Pure Therapy; hair replacement or extensions; and, in some cases, hair transplantation surgery. What you choose to do ultimately depends on your level of hair loss and your goals.