To understand the reasons for baldness, it is first necessary to understand the fundamentals of hair loss. In fact, the shedding of hair is a natural and constantly ongoing process in all mammals (anyone who owns a cat can testify to this) and human beings are no exception. The fact that most hair loss occurs in the mornings is an interesting but inexplicable phenomenon.

About 10% of all available hair on the scalp is, at any given time, in a state of dormancy that finally culminates in its shedding. This is natural and desirable, since it makes lace for new hair growth. It must be remembered that hair basically consists of dead cells yielded by natural processes, and that these cannot remain rooted permanently on the scalp. Any attempt to do this would be extremely detrimental.

The problem is therefore not entirely one of hair loss. Though most people with advancing baldness display an accelerated rate of hair loss, the process itself is natural and will happen naturally with the process of aging. Unnatural reasons for hair loss can include the effects of major surgery, the disruption of hormonal levels due to thyroid dysfunction, ingestion of certain pharmacological agents such as clot busters, chemotherapy in cancer patients, diabetes, severe hairstyles, and psoriasis. In females, the use of oral contraceptives can likewise result in excessive hair loss.

An improper nutritional regimen can also cause considerable hair loss. Coupled with other contributing factors such as the use of certain medicines and abrasive hair grooming/coloring agents, this can certainly result in some degree baldness. This applies particularly the adherents of devil may care lifestyles, in whom all these factors can combine into one single, vicious package.

The genetic predisposition to lose hair is the cause of most cases of partial or complete baldness, and can unfortunately not be countered by modern science. With advances in genetic engineering, even this factor may be addressed some day.