Living cells in your skin, called keratinocytes, produce a protective layer that provides flexible strength and keeps water and other external material out of your body. Keratinocytes provide this strength by producing a tough, triple-helix-shaped protein strand called keratin.

Rogaine is the brand name for the drug minoxidil, which is designed to decrease hair loss and encourage new hair growth in both men and women. According to the Mayo Clinic, the exact way in which Rogaine works is not completely understood. However, its effects tend to last as long as the treatment.

Approximately 90 percent of hair is in the growth phase, while 10 percent is in a resting or dormant stage at any given time. After the resting phase, hair strands fall out and new ones grow in. Daily hair loss of around 50 to 100 hairs per day is typical.

If you have dandruff or buildup on the scalp, the symptoms of both are easy to spot: Your head itches and flakes of dead skin are snowing from your scalp into your hair and onto your shoulders.

Hair loss can be caused by a variety of ailments or factors. A professional should be involved when deciding why a person may be losing hair. However, a key problem in hair loss is nutrition. Foods and hair disorders go hand in hand, and there are certain foods you should avoid to prevent hair loss.

Pharmaceutical medications are often prescribed to teenage girls to treat symptoms that are the result of various conditions. Although they are for the most part effective, they have a tendency to be accompanied with side effects. One of them is hair loss.

Many myths are associated with hair loss. You won't lose more hair if you shampoo daily or wear hats or hairpieces, nor will shaving thinning hair make it grow back any thicker. One type of hair loss, telogen effluvium, can be caused by physical or emotional stress.

While bleaching and dyeing hair may cause your hair to break off at the root and fall out, this happens only in some cases. For the most part, the occasional hair treatment will not cause permanent damage.

Traction alopecia is a common cause of thinning hair and overall hair loss in black women. More than 1/3 of all African-American women and 17 percent of all African-American girls between the ages of 6 and 21 suffer from the disorder, according to the "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology,"

Only recently, scientists discovered that the miniaturization of hair follicles has a direct hormonal pathway with a genetic origin. Whether you are just experiencing hair thinning or trying to restore lost hair, knowing the cause and the treatments available can help you make the best decisions.

Minoxidil, the generic name for Rogaine, is a medication that was originally used in pill form for treating high blood pressure because of its ability to dilate, or widen, blood vessels. When used for this purpose, one of minoxidil’s side effects was noted to be excessive hair growth.

The lush lashes from cosmetic advertisements can be painful reminders of your thinning eyelash condition. A variety of factors can affect your eyelashes, and when they spontaneously begin to thin or fall out, it may be time to visit your doctor for an explanation.