Medical news correspondent, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, gave hope to the balding on the January 6, 2011 edition of CBS’s “The Early Show.” A study at the University of Pennsylvania asked the question, “Do stem cells have an effect on baldness?”

In the study, bald male scalps were compared with those of men with hair in an effort to see if those with hair, and those without, have the same number of stem cells. Stem cells, found in all multi cellular organisms, have the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and differentiate into a diverse range of specialized cell types – in this case the much sought after, but fickle, hair follicle.

The study found that the bald men and the men with hair had the same number of stem cells. However, the bald men had fewer of a “more mature type of cell.” Therefore, the thinking is that the stem cells of bald men may become deactivated. Now, the goal is to find treatment to activate the deactivated stem cells.

This bodes well for the future, but what if you are currently disturbed by significant hair loss?

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), “By age 50, about 50% of American men, and a substantial number of women, are affected by hair loss, much of which is hereditary.”

Micro-hair transplantation is a state-of-the-art hair transplantation technique that has replaced ‘plugs’ or larger grafts of hair. To find a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon in your area, go to the ASAPS website.