Hair loss is common, it has many different causes, and almost everything written about it online is written by someone with something to sell. Balds is an independent reference site about thinning, shedding and balding hair. We explain what conditions like male and female pattern baldness, alopecia areata and telogen effluvium actually are, why hair sheds suddenly in some people and recedes gradually in others, what the available treatment options genuinely involve, and what living with a receding hairline or a shaved head is really like.
We are writers and editors rather than doctors, we sell nothing, and we take no payment for coverage. So you will not find a “best treatment” ranking here, or a promise that some shampoo, supplement or device will bring your hair back. What you will find is plain-language explanation, an honest account of what is and is not known, and a straight answer about when a symptom is a reason to see a doctor or a dermatologist rather than read another article.
Start here
Understanding hair loss
The named types, what triggers shedding, and how the picture differs between men and women.
Hair loss options
Treatment categories, procedures, scalp care and the practical side of living with it.
Browse by topic
Causes & Triggers
Stress, illness, hormones, medication, diet and styling — what is known to contribute to hair shedding…
10 articles
Types of Hair Loss
Pattern hair loss, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium and the other named conditions, explained in plain language.
7 articles
Treatment Options
What treatment categories exist, how they are meant to work, and what to ask a clinician.
5 articles
Hair Loss in Women
Diffuse thinning, postpartum shedding and menopause-related changes — how hair loss differs in women.
4 articles
Hair Loss in Men
How thinning and receding typically progresses in men, and the questions men most often ask.
3 articles
Scalp & Hair Health
Scalp conditions, washing, dandruff, irritation and everyday hair handling.
3 articles
Living With Hair Loss
Shaving, styling, coverage options and the practical and emotional side of losing hair.
2 articles
Hair Transplants & Procedures
Surgical and in-clinic procedures — how they work, what recovery involves, and what questions to ask.
1 article
When to see a doctor rather than a website
Most pattern hair loss is gradual and not dangerous. But hair loss that comes on suddenly,
appears in distinct patches, or arrives with a sore, scaly, scarred or shiny scalp deserves a
professional look — and so does hair loss alongside other unexplained symptoms, or hair loss
in a child. Scarring types of hair loss can destroy follicles permanently, so waiting has a real
cost. We would rather send you to a dermatologist than keep you reading.
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- Itchy Scalp and Hair Loss: When to Get It Checked
What this site will not do
We do not promise regrowth, rank treatments by effectiveness, recommend doses or prescription
medications, or use before-and-after framing. Plenty of people lose their hair and are entirely
fine about it, and that is a legitimate outcome rather than a failure. Our
about page sets out the full list of commitments, and you can
tell us when we get something wrong.
Balds publishes general educational information about hair loss, not medical advice. We are
writers, not doctors or dermatologists. If your hair loss is sudden, patchy, painful, or comes with
other unexplained symptoms, see a doctor or a dermatologist — some forms of hair loss can
become permanent without early assessment.