Baldness is when the hair folliciles on the head simply stop producing hair. Normally hair spouts from a hair follicle, and grows. Eventually, it falls out, and a new hair spouts in it's place. Baldness takes place when this renewal doesn't occur anymore.
Men start to go bald in their thirties (though in some men it occurs earlier). You usually see thinning at the side of the head (on either side of the forehead), and at the crown of the head.
Why does this happen? It's the work of testosterone in the body, in particular a metabolite of testosterone, Dihydrotestosterone which is produced by men in the testes. This increases facial hair but inhibits the follicles on the head from producing hair. This is known as "male pattern balding".
Male pattern balding tends to run in families. You can often tell whether you will go bald or not by looking at your dad or granddad.
There are some other types of balding - any shock to the body, including surgery or stress can cause baldness. Hypothyroidism can also cause hair loss. Occasionally women can experience hair loss, due to excess testosterone in the body or due to the drop in oestrogen following childbirth.
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