Aust Fam Physician. 1999 Mar

Tran D, Sinclair RD.

Department of Dermatology, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne.

BACKGROUND: Society places importance on physical attributes especially the appearance of our hair. Common baldness or androgenetic alopecia is a normal physiological process of hair loss in genetically predisposed individuals.

Premature or accelerated hair loss can engender considerable negative thoughts and anxiety associated with feelings of diminished attractiveness.

OBJECTIVE: To enable general practitioners to recognise the various treatment options available, therefore offering patients reasonable hope and informed choices.

DISCUSSION: Common baldness can be prevented by currently available mediums and regrowth may be achieved in a significant percentage of cases.

Correct use of these agents requires an understanding of the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia, its natural history and the time course of response to treatment.