The statistics today show that most men have a 50% chance of experiencing hereditary hair loss by their 50th birthday. Female and male pattern baldness varies from population to population based on the genetic background of the individual. The severity of baldness can vary quite a bit. It ranges from the common male pattern alopecia, alopecia areata, which involves the loss of some of the hair on the head, and alopecia totalis, which involves the loss of all the head hair, to the most extreme form, alopecia universalis, which involves the loss of all hair from the head and the entire body.

Fungal infections of the scalp can cause some hair loss in children but is easily treated with anti-fungal medicines, try to find the natural kind. If the thyroid gland is overactive, as in Grave's Disease or is underactive, hair may fall out. And treating the thyroid disease will help remedy this. One less common type of baldness is called traction alopecia, which is most commonly found in people with ponytails or cornrows who pull on their hair with too much force.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder also called "spot baldness" that can result in hair loss ranging from one area to every hair on the whole body. Tumors and skin growths can also cause a localized baldness. And correcting a hormone imbalance may help prevent further hair loss too.

Traumas such as chemotherapy, childbirth, major surgery, poisoning, and extreme stress may cause a less common hair loss condition known as telogen effluvium. If a medication is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different drug or you may find you really don't need it at all. And hair loss can happen as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes.

Propecia (Finasteride) and Minoxidil, called Rogaine in the U.S. and outside the U.S. as Regaine, are drugs that have been reported as having shown some success in partially reversing loss but one needs to consider carefully the side effects. Be aware there are side effects and serious side effects sometimes with the hair loss drugs that are usually used.

Propecia is available with a prescription only and comes in the form of a pill. It's for men only and may take up to six months before one can tell if it's working or not. Products for hair loss include: shampoos, shampoos with conditioners, conditioners, lotions, creams, concealers, thinning-hair shampoos, laser combs, laser brushes, the Lasertron Hair Growth Brush, herbal based products, chemical based pills or tablets, Nizoral shampoo, Neutrogena T-Gel, and many, many others.

Immunosuppressant drugs that are applied to the scalp have been shown to temporarily reverse alopecia areata, though the side effects of some of these drugs make this therapy highly questionable. And serious stress reduction can be very helpful in slowing down hair loss. The surgical methods used include hair transplants, whereby hair-producing follicles are taken from the back and sides of the head and used in the bald or thinning areas.

There are many natural home remedies and many recipes for making solutions that can be applied to the scalp. The raw onion remedy for hair loss: take half of a raw onion and massage the scalp with it then cover the area overnight, then shampoo and rinse the scalp in the morning. For an unusual remedy, some swear it works: try the fingernail buffer for hair loss. Three times a day or so, for about five minutes, buff your fingernails on your right hand with the fingernails of your left hand. This remedy is supposed to stop hair loss, encourage new hair growth and prevent the hair from graying. Another remedy: massage the scalp with the fingers daily.

Another remedy: massage the scalp each nigh with one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil. The vodka and cayenne remedy (be careful if you try it (test on the skin first for sensitivity) - mix one jigger of vodka with a half teaspoon of cayenne and rub it on the scalp. Blood is supposed to rush to the hair follicles that are stimulated by the vodka and cayenne pepper. For the olive oil and rosemary remedy, use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary then combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a cap and shampoo the next morning.

The onion juice and raw honey remedy: prepare a hair-growing elixir by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of raw honey, and then massage the scalp with the mixture every day.

And finally, Polygonum Multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure for hair loss. And whether the plant itself is useful or not, the general safety and quality control for herbs imported from China can be very questionable these days.

And try massaging the scalp every day. Getting good circulation to the scalp is very important.

Keep in mind that hair loss should be continually treated, preferably with a natural approach however. If you stop losing hair after trying any of the natural treatments, you may find that you need to continue if you start losing hair again. Hair loss treatments and remedies can be free, low cost or expensive. The natural treatments are generally relatively inexpensive. And it's important to find out exactly what is causing your hair loss problem in order to choose the right approach for you. And concentrate on giving the immune system a boost with a natural plant food diet to give your hair the best chance to regrow.