baldness

the gradual depletion of HAIR on the head, which is, to a great extent, hereditary but may also be a symptom of some diseases, e.g. SYPHILIS , MYXOEDEMA and ANAEMIA , and ALOPECIA is a patchy baldness of the scalp that can affect other areas of the body. Baldness is often preceded (for several years) by seborrhoeic eczema, which causes hair FOLLICLES to lose their capacity to produce hair in the natural cycle of replacement