That was the unenviable situation Ms Suarina Chua found herself in when she hit 30.
The 44-year-old started losing her locks after the hard partying, constant travelling and debilitating work stress she experienced in her 20s caught up with her. Her problem was exacerbated after she gave birth and again in 2006 when she switched shampoos.
She said: 'I started losing tons of hair. I'd touch my head and five strands would drop off. Every time I combed my hair, I'd lose 50 or 60 strands, which really shocked me.'
Desperate to stem the hair loss, Ms Chua sought treatment at hair treatment salon Philip Kingsley Trichological Centre.
Three months and $2,500 worth of treatments later, she saw 'lots of regrowth'.
Ms Chua said: 'I'm a hair fanatic. I can live with wrinkles or white hair but I can't bear thinning hair.'
She is not alone in her distress. Staff from haircare centres like Beijing 101 Hair Consultants said they are seeing more women suffering from hair loss these days.
While men's battle with receding hairlines and balding crowns is well-documented, many people are still shocked when faced with a woman with a sparse head of hair or a naked pate.
Ms Leonica Kei, director of Philip Kingsley Trichological Centre, said: 'Hair is a secondary sexual characteristic. Thinning hair in women is connected with the loss of sexuality and femininity.'
Mr Ivan Lim, co-owner of Phase Hairdressing, thinks the term, crowning glory, is apt because hair symbolises personality, image and status.
'When people seek change in their appearances, they almost always start with their hair,' he said.
The most common cause of hair loss in men and women is androgenetic alopecia or common pattern hair loss.
Common pattern hair loss, the most common cause of hair loss, affects 40% of women and 50% of men by the age of 50.
The condition affects 40per cent of women and half of all men by the age of 50. Hair loss can strike any time after puberty and gradually progresses with age. Genes also play a part.
In men and women, the male hormone dihydrotestosterone causes certain hair follicles on the scalp to shrink. This leads to short and fine hairs growing instead of long, thick hair. In severe cases, this thinning of the hair can leave the crown and front of the head bald.
Dr Joyce Lee, consultant dermatologist and consultant-in-charge of the Hair and Nail Clinic at the National Skin Centre, said: 'Common pattern hair loss will become permanent if left untreated. So the earlier one starts treatment, the more hair one is likely to maintain.'
In men with male pattern hair loss, two treatments are available, namely a form of oral medication known as finasteride and a topical therapy known as minoxidil lotion. Both halt or slow the progression of male pattern hair loss.
However, for women with female pattern hair loss, the only treatment approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration is minoxidil lotion. Wigs, hair weaving and hair transplants are also treatment options in severe cases.
Besides common pattern hair loss, other common hair loss conditions are alopecia areata, acute telogen effluvium and chronic illness.
While the latter two are reactive hair loss conditions caused by underlying health problems like anaemia or thyroid problems, the former is characterised by coin-shaped or patchy hair loss and is an auto-immune condition triggered by stress.
If those bald truths about the stresses your tresses face have got you scratching your head, you should stop. Keeping your scalp clean and healthy can help prevent hair loss.
Dr Eileen Tan, consultant dermatologist at Eileen Tan Skin, Laser and Hair Transplant Clinic at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, said: 'It's important to maintain good hygiene for your scalp. A diseased scalp or improper care may lead to hair loss.'
Mr Lim added: 'Like good soil that begets a strong healthy plant, a healthy scalp means less chance of scalp problems and infections and contributes to healthy hair growth.'
Common scalp problems include seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff) and psoriasis, which is characterised by an itchy and sensitive scalp with thick scales.
Both conditions can be treated with medicated shampoo containing coal tar, zinc pyrithione or selenium sulphide.
Although hair fibres are essentially dead, each follicle - from which hair grows - has its own blood, nerve and muscle supply. The blood capillaries around the follicle carry the nourishment needed for hair cell reproduction and growth.
In recent years, haircare and beauty companies have focused on scalp care as a means of cultivating healthy, shiny hair.
Haircare lines like System Professional have a slew of products targeted at treating scalp problems while professional haircare range Kerastase is introducing scalp-care treatments which incorporate a micro-organism called bioflorine that is said to strengthen the scalp's natural defences.
Of course it takes more than pampering one's scalp and hair to achieve a full head of lustrous locks. Good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are important for supplying the scalp with the necessary nutrients and protecting hair against external stress like pollution.
Mrs Marina Tan, 38, a marketing manager who suffered from hair loss after giving birth to her third child, said: 'It's not just about hair treatment. I've also changed my lifestyle as I think healthy living helps my hair to a certain extent.
'I now exercise two to three times a week and am more conscious of what I eat.'
This story was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times, on July 2, 2008.
