Are you like me; you've never thought about hair loss and always had thick, lustrous hair and then all of a sudden you start noticing (or someone very helpful informs you) it is thinning out. At first you start blaming your new shampoo, the humidity or the weather in general before realizing that hair loss is a fact. Goodbye shallow beautiful women, goodbye perfect vacation pictures with the wind in your hair. But you know actually, it's really not that bad after all. When hair loss sets in for real and you start accepting it there are still some advantages (as long as you accept it and don't start using the infamous comb-over). No more getting red eyes from shampoos, no more expensive visits to the hair dresser or barber. All you need is a good hair trimmer ? do not skimp on this ? and your set. Think of Vin Diesel, Bruce Willis and Sean Connery, do they seem to suffer any major setbacks from their hair loss?

Naturally, instead of concealing hair loss, you have always the choice of embracing it. A shaved head will grow stubble in the same manner and at the same rate as a shaved face. In more recent years the general public has become more accepting and forgiving of the shaved head also. It does not mean your have to be a skinhead anymore.

I now will try and simply explain the reasons for hair loss in more medical terms now, perhaps this will help you come to terms with your own baldness when you find it is extremely common and completely natural. There are also many ways of controlling and preventing hair loss to try out.

The most common type of hair loss for male humans is called androgenic alopecia. This is the general type of hair loss with receding hair line in various stages. The bald spot often seen in various shapes and forms is called alopecia areata and the most complete form of hair loss is named alopecia totalis.

The more common type of receding hair line is today highly preventable through the use of various treatments. Results may vary, however, so don't keep your hopes up too high. Today there are also various ways of cosmetic surgery, the results of which most of the time are almost undetectable.

The psychological effects people experience vary greatly. Some people, like me, adapt to the new situation with ease while some people really start suffering from a combination of anxiety, social phobia, depression, and in some instances a change in self image or identity.

A lot of people suffering hair loss as a result of cancer chemotherapy unfortunately report issues with the way they view their body image. Usually these feelings don't even return after a successful treatment and the re-growth of hair. Family therapy has been proven to help in such cases.

There are only two treatments for hair loss or baldness in the United States who have been approved by the FDA. These two are called Finasteride and Minoxidil and are used for both men and women. A combination of both is believed to be the most effective treatment for hair loss today not taking into consideration surgery.