For a woman, losing her locks can be a devastating ordeal. A myth exists that thinning hair is a ?man?s issue,? when in fact by age 50 most men AND women experience some degree of hair loss or hair thinning. A Longview dermatologist talks about some of the causes of thinning hair, while a local salon offers up advice on ways to hide it and suggests a new treatment that may help any woman keep her crowning glory.

Nioxin System 1 Kit, $60 at Rumours Spalon (includes cleanser, scalp therapy and scalp treatment)

Women's Rogaine, $24.99 at CVS

The causes

About 90 percent of a person's scalp hair is continually growing, while the other 10 percent is in its shedding cycle.

"Shedding 100-150 hairs a day is common, because new hair is coming in all the time," said Dr. Deborah K. Phillips, M.D. "The problem comes when this cycle of shedding and growing is disrupted, and there are many, many reasons for this, including new medications, iron deficiency or a traumatic life event."

Heredity can play a big part in hair loss – a condition called androgenetic alopecia. It's a very common form of hair loss among men and women based on genetics. Unfortunately, you can't blame your mothers for everything. In addition to genetics, the natural aging process can play a role, along with an underactive thyroid gland, stress, poor diet, childbirth and perimenopause (the time leading up to menopause).

"Once your doctor listens to you carefully and examines your hair patterns, he or she can determine the cause of your hair loss," Dr. Phillips said. "When you know the reason, then you can explore your treatment options."

Until you take the trip to your doctor, Dr. Phillips said there are some things you can do to prevent hair loss.

"Eat a healthy diet, for sure. Hair needs nutritious food. Try not to include too much vitamin A in your diet. Especially if you're a vegetarian, you must eat lots of beans and nuts to get your protein," she said. "Also, take care of your hair. Don't over-process it with perms or hair dyes."

As for treatments, Dr. Phillips recommended over-the-counter Rogaine, which supports hair growth and thickens hair follicles. She also said that supplements of biotin, a B vitamin, may counteract the problem of hair loss; however, there are no studies to support that benefit just yet.

Losing hair can be a very emotionally charged subject, and it's important to address the situation as soon as possible.

"Women must realize that it's very common," Dr. Phillips said. "Our hair is such a big part of our identity, and it's often difficult for a person to preserve her self-esteem at times. The sooner you get it checked out, the better."

The solutions

At Rumours Spalon, RDA beauty distributor Dee Moore had words of wisdom for gals who need a beauty boost. With some patience, practice and what Dee said is "the product" for thinning hair, you can achieve the look stylists have been working on for years – full, voluminous hair!

"First of all, don't be embarrassed. There are treatments!" Dee said. "Every day you wait is one more day your condition progresses."

One treatment available at Rumours is a product called Nioxin, a natural skin care solution that concentrates on improving the scalp environment, therefore improving the appearance of thinning hair.

"Nioxin actually removes the environmental residue to promote a healthy scalp while it provides nourishing vitamins, proteins and amino acids for healthier looking hair," Dee said.

Dee offered up some other ways to keep your locks from looking limp:

- Use products formulated for fine or thinning hair.

- Use a bristle boar brush because they are designed for thin hair and for scalps that require soft, gentle care.

- Rinse your hair thoroughly! Leftover residue weighs your hair down.

- Shorter cuts work best to hide thinning hair. It allows for more volume. Long hair only weighs down the follicles, making your hair look flatter.

- Sun exposure doesn't play a role in hair loss, but it's a good idea to protect your scalp from the sun by wearing a cap.

- Lots of styling tools aren't good to use on thinning hair but, if you can't live without your flat iron, try to incorporate a thermal protectant in your styling routine.