There is nothing more stressful to a man or woman, than noticing large amounts of hair on the brush or in the bath after a hair wash or shower. Perhaps baldness is the thing most dreaded by men, although psychologically it is women who suffer the most.

Strangely it was once thought to be linked to mid-life crises, but this thought process has changed as greater numbers of men in their twenties have suffered hair loss. The reasons and causes are numerous, and the effects can lead to loss of self-esteem and confidence.

It is advisable for everyone to increase their knowledge of hair loss and to prepare themselves to deal with it when it happens.

Hair normally grows in a cycle of 2 to 6 years, which suggests a cyclical pattern: some hair grows, some is resting while some falls out. This is natural as it creates space for new hair to germinate - it becomes unnatural when fall out occurs too regularly.

Perhaps the most common reason for hair loss is an imbalance of hormones caused by thyroid malfunction. Men with overactive thyroid glands experience an imbalance in androgens in their bodies, which generally results in a loss of hair. People with underactive thyroids can experience the same devastating effect.

Thinning hair can also be blamed on certain medicines. If you are using anticoagulants for thinning the blood, medicine to alleviate gout, chemotherapy or an excessive use of vitamin A, all these can lead to the thinning hair.

Fungal infections are also known to cause hair loss. They are identifiable by the nasty looking patches on the scalp which are generally itchy and irritating. The itchy sensation is the hardest part to deal with as it is the classic way that the infection spreads.

Alopecia Areata usually manifests itself without any kind of a warning. Its symptoms show themselves in small patches of missing hair. I myself, many years back when sporting a beard, noticed a small bald patch developing which gradually increased in size.

At first it was a little amusing, then it became and irritation and finally the beard had to come off. This example, like many with this condition, is temporary and usually results in a full recovery of the affected area. But if it doesn't recover within a few months, it could mean permanent damage has occurred.

If you are a sufferer of diabetes or lupus, the autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own cells and tissue, you could potentially suffer hair loss. If this is the case, you should seek medical assistance as it could be a sign that underlying problems exist within the body.

The use of hot oil should be treated with caution, as this is now known to be detrimental to the health of hair. There has been an increase in the number of cases where hair follicles have been permanently damaged by its excessive application.

Another key factor influencing the thinning or loss of hair is genetic inheritance. This is known as Androgenetic Alopecia, and is classically seen passed from father to son.

Androgenetic alopecia is a challenge to genetic researchers, as nobody has yet been able to isolate the exact genes responsible for the condition.