Common Hair Loss

Just like with about everything else, blame genetics. A genetically inherited, hormone-related condition called alopecia androgenetica causes generalized thinning of hair in women. It is the most common cause of women's hair loss.

It's hard to predict who will be affected because this type of hair loss can be inherited from either parent and often skips a generation. Female hair loss affects as many as one in three women between the ages of 20 and 60. An estimated 30 million women in the United States have pattern baldness, and about 40 percent of women show visible signs by age 40. Sounds grim? Don't do the guy thing and start shaving your head. There are products that can help.