Five things you didn't know about female hair loss

March 2007

1   Unkindest cut:

By now, beleaguered pop princess Britney Spears is sporting a cute pixie. Isn't she the lucky one; her baldness was by choice.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, about 30 million women in the United States have extensive hair loss.

2   Mane in motion:

According to Leo Benjamin Jr., of Adrian's Hair Center, hair is one of the fastest-growing tissues in the body -- second only to bone marrow. The average scalp has 100,000 strands.

A typical person loses 15-40 hairs per day. You need to lose 50 percent before it's noticeable.

3   Genetic jolt:

Typical locks grow at the rate of about one-half an inch a month -- each lasting two-six years. At that point, the hair ''rests'' for a period, falls out, then the follicle from which it sprang grows a new one.

In women who are genetically predisposed to shedding (the majority of sufferers), hormones called androgens interfere with this process. The condition is medically known as androgenic alopecia.

4   More causes:

Some autoimmune disorders result in a less dramatic condition -- alopecia areata -- when hair comes out in clumps.

Others suffer from telogen effluvium, following pregnancy, unsafe diets, surgery or severe stress. Thyroid disorders, anemia and some medications are more culprits.

5   Don't (necessarily) wig out:

Benjamin touts various nonsurgical treatments at his center. Laser therapy stimulates cell metabolism and repairs damage.

The Methoze Trapeze procedure bridges the gap between thinning hair and donor hair. In graduated enhancement therapy, the hairline is reconstructed.

The center also offers extensions (prices: $700-$2,000).