Though humans no longer make use of hair for protection, heat retention, or camouflage, it still remains a very important means by which individuals display and are recognized. Appropriate appearance and grooming are still very important in social organization and the human relationships. Blondes have the greatest number of scalp follicles, followed by brunettes. Humans with red hair have the fewest number of scalp follicles. It is important to understand the normal hair growth cycle to understand why hair loss occurs.
Hair is made up of proteins called keratins.
On average 50-100 telogen hairs are shed every day. This is normal hair loss and accounts for the hair loss seen every day in the shower and with hair combing. These hairs will regrow. Growth of scalp hair is NOT androgen-dependent but androgens are necessary for the development of male and female pattern hair loss. It is estimated that 35 million men in the United States are affected by androgenetic alopecia.