There are many reasons why a person, male or female, may experience thinning hair. The important thing to note is that this does not necessarily have to lead to hair loss or baldness. True, if nothing is done about it, then the chances are it will, but as with most things, given right and timely treatment, the trend can be slowed, halted and in many cases, reversed.

Over half the population will, at some stage in their lives experience thinning hair and you only have to look around in a crowd, to realise just how common an issue this is. You will see that there are those who do what they can to hide the fact that they are losing their hair, and there are those who simply accept it as a normal part of the aging process. Some will wear hats or headscarves and some will adopt different hairstyles to accommodate it. Some will embrace it while others will seek treatment to arrest it.

Key to the successful treatment of hair thinning and the prevention of men or women's hair loss, is swift action taken at the appropriate time. The earlier you respond to it, the better your chances are of reversing the process and maintaining a full head of hair.

The process of going bald can be split into three distinct sections. These are thinning hair, hair loss and baldness. The process begins with hair shedding, and it is at this stage, at the very beginning of the process, that retaining treatments are at their most effective. Do not ignore the issue or hope it will sort itself out; there is every chance it will get worse.

Thinning hair can be seen in both men and women and in fact, in females it forms a representative part of what's known as female pattern baldness. The pattern of baldness in females is different to that in males in that, in females the full head of hair goes through a shedding process, resulting in an overall thinning of what is still, a full head of hair. Male pattern baldness, on the other hand, is characterised by full baldness occurring in patches across the scalp.

Hair thinning is the result of a reduction in the size of the hair follicle and this is caused by there being too much Dihydrotestosterone present in the blood. DHT attaches to the hair follicle, reducing the size of the follicular aperture and this results in the hair being squeezed, leading to a thinner shaft. The more the hair is squeezed, the thinner the shaft becomes until it is eventually choked off.

It is recommended that hair shedding should be treated as early as possible because as has just been described, it is progressive. With each growth cycle, from Anagen to Catagen and through to Telogen, the affected hair follicle will reduce in width, until it is no longer sustainable and the hair falls out. Catch it early and you halt this progression.

The London Centre of Trichology - contact us now to arrange your free hair loss diagnosis.

For more information on hair loss for men or women, contact The London Centre of Trichology on 0207 935 1935.