Baldness refers to a loss of hair in the skull. Baldness can be described as hair loss or absence of hair. Baldness is usually most noticeable on the scalp, but can occur anywhere on the body where hair grows. The condition is more common in men than in women.

Male baldness usually begins with thinning at the hairline, followed by the appearance of a thinned or bald spot on the crown of the head. Women with common baldness rarely develop bald patches. Instead, they experience a diffuse thinning of their hair.

Causes and Symptoms: Baldness may be due to certain serious diseases like acute fevers, myxodema i.e. a syndrome caused by hypothyroidism, syphilis, influenza, anaemia, and great anxiety or nervous shock. Premature baldness is generally considered to be hereditary and not much can be done except delaying the falling of the hair for some years through proper medication. Sometimes eczema of the scalp leads to rapid baldness.

There is a common believe that hair loss is primarily caused by a combination of the following reasons. These can be mentioned as aging, change in hormones, illness, family history of baldness, burns, and trauma. However, hair loss is not caused by the following reasons like poor circulation to the scalp, vitamin deficiencies, dandruff, excessive hat wearing, a gene passed on from an individual`s maternal grandfather. Generally if the hair loss begins at earlier stage, the baldness will become severe.

Home Remedies: If the baldness is due to any of the serious diseases mentioned above, medication should start the moment the falling of the hair is noticed. A naturopathic remedy is the vigorous rubbing of the scalp with the fingers. This activates the sebaceous glands which nourish the hair and prevent its falling.

Medicines & Prescriptions: The administration of drugs indicated for premature greying of hair should help in the cases of baldness also. But recourse to medication has to be taken in the earlier stages. If all the hair has fallen out and the follicles have closed, nothing much can be done. Those who attach a lot of cosmetic value to their hair may wear a wig.

Diet and other regimen to be followed should also be the same as for premature greying, but these can only be effective in the early stages of baldness.