Both men and women tend to lose hair thickness and amount as they age. Inherited or "pattern baldness" affects many more men than women. About 25% of men begin to bald by the time they are 30 years old, and about two-thirds are either bald or have a balding pattern by age 60.
Some women also develop a particular pattern of hair loss due to genetics, age, and male hormones that tend to increase in women after menopause. The pattern is different from that of men. Female pattern baldness involves a thinning throughout the scalp while the frontal hairline generally remains intact.
For hair loss due to heredity, age, and hormones, the topical medication Rogaine (minoxidil) can be helpful for both male and female pattern baldness. Expect to wait 6 months before you see results. The oral medication Propecia (finasteride) is effective in some men. This medicine can decrease sex drive. When either medication is stopped, the former baldness pattern returns.

A careful medical history and examination of the hair and scalp are usually enough to diagnose the nature of your hair loss.
The average person has around 100,000 strands of hair on their head and the average rate of growth is a mere one-half of an inch per month. By the time the ends of your hair actually grow down to your shoulders, they are approximately two years old.
Diagnostic tests that may be performed (but are rarely needed) include:
Microscopic examination of a plucked hair
Skin biopsy (if skin changes are present)
