Baldness
Baldness (also known as alopecia) is when someone has no hair on his or her head. Sometimes this is inherited from parents or grandparents, or it can be done on purpose. Improper use of hair extensions can also lead to hair loss. Some people such as monks or South Korean soldiers shave their head.
| Alopecia | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
 Man displaying male pattern baldness | |
| ICD-10 | L65.9 |
| ICD-9 | 704.0 |
| DiseasesDB | 14765 |
| MeSH | D000505 |
Baldness is most often caused by a medical condition known as androgenic alopecia. This is found in humans, as well as in some animals. When it occurs, it will mean that those affected will permanently lose some (or all) of their hair. Since some of the factors are linked to the genes on the chromosome, the condition can be seen more often with men, than with women.
Alopecia totalis is the loss of all head hair. Its cause is believed to be autoimmune, but many with the disorder lead relatively low stress lives.
Alopecia areata (AA) is a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body, usually from the scalp. Because it causes bald spots on the scalp, especially in the first stages, it is sometimes called spot baldness.
Baldness Media
A case of mid-frontal baldness: Andre Agassi
Throughout his political career, Urho Kekkonen, the President of Finland, was well known for his baldness. He was last known to have had hair in about the 1920s. This photo is of Kekkonen in 1959.
General Douglas MacArthur with a comb over
Portuguese advertisement for a hair-loss product from the 1940s
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