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Not long ago, baldness was considered a physical feature like wearing glasses, being short or having eyes of a certain color. In other words, it was an external feature difficult to change. Today, contact lenses have replaced glasses or change the color of the eyes, and although they have yet to invent anything to make people taller, anything is possible. In the same way it is possible to fight baldness, or at least alleviate it or prevent its emergence. Clearly, it is not a life-threatening condition, but there are men who don't like it at all and are not resigned to losing one more strand of hair.�

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Kinds of baldness
First of all, not all kinds of baldness have the same features. So-called androgenetic baldness, the kind suffered by most men, can start between ages 20 and 30 and progress at varying rates. It stems from genetic factors, changes affecting the size of the follicle and the body of the hair, as well as an increase in the number of hairs in a rest state and a decrease in those which are growing. Baldness in women tends to be associated with hormones (a drop in production of� estrogens) although genetic factors also come into play, as do excessive wearing of hair in buns or pony tails. These subject hair to constant strain. So-called areata baldness is characterized by hair loss in patches in one or several areas of the scalp, and is linked to hereditary factors, immune reactions and stress. The latter can also cause diffuse balding, which at times stems from such diverse factors as crash diets, postpartum periods and high fever. In general, this kind of baldness remits when the causes are alleviated.�

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Effective treatments
But how do you fight baldness? History is littered with alleged miracle remedies, hair-growing products billed as being able to cover shiny heads with strong, shiny hair. Most of these bordered on being deceiptful. But these days the most rigorous scientific and medical studies point to only one effective treatment: Propecia. It is a drug with an active ingredient called finasteride, which inhibits an enzyme related to testosterone and present in the follicles so that it stops hair loss. Propecia can stop the balding process when it is in a reversible stage. It acts over all of the pate and the hairline. The improvement is progressive and it works in 85 percent of men. For now it is not recommended for women, although it is not known to have side effects in men. Minoxidil is another drug known to give good results. It is a topicle-use vessel dilator that can be used by men and women. But the use must be continuous. If you go more than four months without applying it to your scalp, you will lose all the benefits you have obtained.�

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Certain nutritional deficiencies can also contribute to baldness, but this does not mean that eating large amounts of a food to make up for this lack will reverse the process. Vitamins A, B, C, copper, iron and zinc have a direct effect on the strength of a person's hair. A shortage of vitamin A can lead to an increase in the number of dead cells on the scalp, while B vitamins improve transport of oxygen and blood to the hair. Hair lacking both will fall out. Vitamin C is involved in formation of collagen, which helps build strong body tissues, including skin and hair. A lack of iron causes anemia, which also affects the hair. A shortage of zinc affects development of dandruff, which is also linked to hair loss. Copper is essential for formation of hemoglobin and supplying blood to the scalp.�

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Strengthening hair
As for natural remedies, they may strengthen hair and improve its looks, but they have not been shown to grow hair where it has fallen out. There are solutions based on watercress juice, made with 100 grams of the vegetable liquefied in water and applied to the hair; balsam with onion, which is prepared by boiling the onions; or olive oil with walnuts, made by mixing the two, letting it sit for a week, then massaging it into the scalp.�

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Another option are hair implants. One version involves hair by hair implants with microscopic techniques. It tends to work well. But do it with a known professional and keep in mind that the treatment is uncomfortable and you have to take anti-inflammatories and anti-biotics after the procedure. Never do an implant with artificial hair. There may be adverse reactions and the body may reject the hair.�