The American Academy of Dermatology marks August 2005 as the third annual National Hair Loss Awareness Month. The month-long public awareness campaign of the American Academy of Dermatology is designed to educate men and women about hair loss, the importance of early detection, and available treatment options. The public education campaign raises awareness about the signs of hereditary hair loss, a condition that affects over 80 million American men and women. “There are many common misconceptions about hair loss,” states David Michaels, the Managing Director of Boca Raton-based Lexington International, LLC, distributor of the HairMax LaserComb. “People should understand the myths associated with hair loss so they can seek early diagnosis and treatment. Getting the facts straight about hair loss will raise awareness to an issue that can greatly affect one’s self esteem, confidence and even sex drive.”

THREE OF THE MOST COMMON MYTHS ABOUT HEREDITARY HAIR LOSS ARE:

Myth #1: Hereditary hair loss is passed only from the mother’s side of the family.

Fact: Men and women should look at both sides of their family tree for relatives with hereditary hair loss. The condition can be inherited from their mother, their father, or from both parents.

Myth #2: Hereditary hair loss is rare among women.

Fact: In the United States, 30 million women—or one in four—experience hereditary hair loss. Less frequent causes for hair loss in women include stress, illness, medication, diet, and pregnancy. But 70 percent of women with thinning hair can attribute it to hereditary hair loss.

Myth #3: Prevalence of hereditary hair loss varies by ethnic or racial background.

Fact: Race neither increases nor decreases a person’s likelihood of experiencing hereditary hair loss. Hereditary hair loss affects all ethnicities.

FACTS ABOUT HAIR LOSS:

Prevalence Hereditary hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia, affects an estimated 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States. It can occur in women as early as their 20s, and in men as early as their teens. Genetic predisposition to hereditary hair loss can be inherited from either side of a person’s family tree or from both parents. It is found in men and women of every race and ethnicity. By age 40, 40 percent of women and nearly 40 percent of men have visible symptoms of hereditary hair loss. By age 50, 50 percent of both genders show signs of the condition. Men tend to experience hereditary hair loss around the hairline, at the back of the head and at the crown – the so-called “receding hairline” and “bald spot” of male pattern baldness. Women generally experience more diffuse thinning, resulting in what they sometimes describe as “see-through” hair.

OTHER SIGNS OF HEREDITARY HAIR LOSS INCLUDE:

• Decreased ponytail diameter
  
• More hair than usual in the shower drain, on the pillow or in the hairbrush
  
• Hair on the top of the head is growing in shorter than the rest
  
• A widening center part, showing more scalp than was visible in the past

Read my review of the HAIRMAX LASERCOMB.