Baldness may occur in patches or over the entire body. It may be caused by hormone imbalance, dandruff, syphilis, or other infections. Ordinary baldness, however, is largely hereditary. It may also be caused by acute fevers, certain drugs or chemicals, X-ray or other burns, disturbed action of certain glands (particularly the thyroid or pituitary), or emotional shock.

Nothing effective can be done about hereditary baldness, and discovering the causes of other types of baldness may be difficult. Local treatments of the scalp or hair in these cases are likely to be useless until the causes are found. Possible causes are diseases or abnormalities which need treatment as a protection to present or future health; therefore they should be discovered and treated, whether or not the treatment cures the baldness. Money spent on various “hair grower” is likely to be wasted unless this basic cause can be corrected. In many cases finding the cause and treating it will call for a physician’s attention; and even a physician may not be able to bring about much improvement.

What to Do

1. Do not expect a cure if the baldness is hereditary.
2. The following program may have some value in delaying the onset or in slowing the progress of the condition:

Twice a week for oily scalps, or once a week for dry scalps, wash the scalp and hair with warm water and mild soap, rinsing and drying the hair thoroughly. Then apply a little bay rum. Gentle massage may help, unless the scalp is very oily. Avoid the use of others’ combs or brushes.

If you are not sure the baldness is of the hereditary type, have a physician study the possible causes, and correct them if possible.