Male pattern baldness is genetic in nature – if a man’s father or one of his grandfathers lost their hair, chances are good that he will too (if he hasn’t already). The direct cause is an excess of dihydrotestosterone, a naturally occurring hormone in the human male body. This hormone causes the hair follicle to stop producing hair (the scalp itself is not affected).

 

Women are actually affected by hair loss as well. However, since the causes are different, women rarely suffer from bald spots. Thinning can result from a number of causes that include hormonal imbalance, toxins, and even damage caused by hair styling procedures and chemicals.

 

The good news is that it is all treatable, and even curable, thanks to the miracle of laser procedures. Dr. Sharon Keene, director of the Physician’s Hair Institute in Tuscon, Arizona, has been instrumental in the development of many of the surgical hair restoration techniques used today. After receiving her medical degree from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Keene went on to study General Surgery as well as hair loss and surgical hair restoration for seven more years. Eventually, she developed advanced techniques that are now used by hair restoration specialists throughout the world. This includes the design of unique, cutting-edge instruments that have greatly improved the safety and efficiency of hair grafting. One of the results of using these instruments is that the process remains in the hands of the physician actually performing the procedure, limiting the involvement of less-experienced assistants.