As they age, many men and women have concerns about hair loss thinning and balding, particularly if their parents or someone else in their immediate family had the problem.
 While sudden alopecia at an early age is cause for a physician's evaluation, age-related alopecia that seems to be hereditary is no cause for alarm.
 It's cause for immediate treatment.
Research indicates that the sooner you begin treating the problem, the better you can expect your long-term results to be.
 That's because it is easier to prevent the follicles from dying than it is to give them new life once they are gone.
What kills the hair-producing follicles on the scalp? That is a question that has been studied for many years.
In men, it is known that a hormone called dihydrotestosterone or DHT can cause the death of some of the follicles.
 First it causes them to shrink, so they produce fewer hairs that are thinner and lighter in color, making the scalp look bald, when actually it is not.
Finally, it sends them into a permanent state of rest.
  And that is when hair loss thinning and bald spots become apparent.
 When that happens, they are real.
Sometimes doctors can still see that small fine hairs are being produced, but they need to use a magnifying glass to see them.
  Therefore, if you can't see them, there is still hope.
The solution for men is to block the production of DHT.
 DHT may play a role in women's inherited baldness as well.
 But, most researchers believe that women's alopecia is more complicated.
  There are prescription drugs on the market that block DHT production, but they have dangerous side effects.
 A safer alternative is an herbal extract called saw palmetto.
You will see that saw palmetto is an ingredient in some of the men's hair loss thinning and pattern baldness supplements on the market.
 But, if the manufacturers are located in the US, they cannot tell you what the ingredient actually does.
To say that saw palmetto blocked DHT production or absorption would make it a drug, according to the FDA.
 Drugs are regulated differently than health supplements; their effectiveness and safety must be proven.
It is the manufacturer's responsibility to insure the safety of their supplements.
 So, it is important to choose a manufacturer that has a good reputation.
  Saw palmetto is not used for women's hair loss thinning or balding problems.
 But, other natural compounds such as vitamins and other nutrients are beneficial.
  For both men and women, the only compound approved for topical use in the US and in other countries is called Minoxidil.
 At one time it was expensive and available only with a prescription.
 Today, it can be purchased over the counter and it is more affordable.
Some of the better hair loss thinning and balding treatments include a good dietary supplement and a topically applied solution containing Minoxidil.
 If you want to see results, that's the treatment to look for.
 It has proven effectiveness for both sexes.