In the Thick of It

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The Hair Truth

Fortunately, both scenarios are highly unlikely. Though the American Academy of Dermatology notes that 30 million women experience hereditary hair loss, and while a reported 40 percent of women have visible hair loss by the time they are 40, these changes are often temporary and, in many cases, reversible.

In fact, hair loss is better understood -- and therefore more treatable -- than it's ever been. For the first time, studies about hair loss have been focused on women, not just men, says Valerie Callender, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Howard University College of Medicine and director of the Callender Skin & Laser Center, in Mitchellville, Maryland. Here, the commonest hair loss conditions for women (a dermatologist is the doctor to consult) as well as styling products and remedies to help your hair look its best.

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