ABSTRACT
Dermatologists are frequently confronted by both male and female patients who are concerned about hair loss. This hair loss may be due to medical concerns, a topic discussed in Chapter one of this text, or to the improper use of hair cosmetics. This chapter outlines a methodology for assessing the condition of the hair to determine if the hair loss is due to excessive hair breakage, in actuality the most common cause of hair loss. It then undertakes a discussion of the causes of cosmeticinduced hair loss followed by treatment suggestions. Even in the patient experiencing medically related hair loss, hair breakage is still an issue. Preventing hair breakage is of great cosmetic importance since the hair is a nonliving, slowly renewable protein fiber.
