many treatments have been suggested. The physi­ The subject we deal with here is male baldness, often still termed androgenic or androgenetic baldness. cian or surgeon desirous of treating baldness must Very important research studies have shown that therefore be acquainted with and practice all these practically 980/0 of men who are losing or who have techniques. lost their hair have at some time or other taken steps Male baldness is in fact not a single entity, but to try to arrest this process. In other words, only consists of numerous types. Each calls for its specific those who are not affected by baldness are indiffer­ treatment, and the aim of a good classification ent to it. And it is surprising how many preventive should be to take account of the greatest number of factors, or at least the more important ones, as sim­ consultations are sought by people whose hair is normal, but who are simply afraid that the day may ply as possible. come when they will lose it. The surgeon's own experience will fill in any gaps, It is precisely because the ideal procedure, pre­ in the knowledge that ultimately it is as important to ventive as well as curative, does not yet exist that so treat the scalp as what is beneath it: the brain. Anatomy Hair cells (melanocytes) derived from the neural crest.