The average person loses between 50 and 100 hairs each day. As long as growth keeps pace with loss, a full head of hair is maintained. But excessive hair loss from the scalp is common, according to Richard Farrell, president and CEO of Farrell Hair Replacement, a multinational company that has been providing hair replacement systems for 35 years. "About 20 percent of adults will experience significant hair loss at some point in their life," Farrell says, "as a result of heredity, medical conditions and bad styling practices that damage hair."

For men, baldness often begins in the 20s
For men, baldness often begins in the 20s when they develop a receding hairline at the temples and balding at the top of the head. By age 50, they may be partially or completely bald. Women tend to lose hair later. In their 50s and 60s, they often find that their hair has thinned at the front, sides or crown. They also maintain their frontal hairline and some of their hair throughout life. "Temporary hair loss can be caused by medical problems, such as alopecia areata, a disease that usually occurs in small, round smooth patches about the size of a quarter," says Farrell. "Usually the condition doesn’t extend beyond a few bare patches on the scalp, but it also can cause patchy hair loss on any area of the body, including eyebrows and eyelashes and even the entire body in rare instances."

Hair loss happens for many different reasons
Hair loss can also be a side effect of some medical treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer. Bald patches can also result from years of wearing certain hairstyles, such as braids, cornrows or pigtails. Hair loss typically occurs where hair is pulled tightly or between the rows. "No matter what the cause, hair loss can be devastating," says Farrell. "People’s self-confidence plummets, and they sometimes become the butt of jokes."

The Farrell Technique is born
Richard Farrell became interested in hair replacement techniques as a hair stylist in Los Angeles in the 1970s when he worked with a wigmaker who designed wigs for actors in Hollywood films. He later developed a proprietary replacement system that includes a sophisticated analysis of the texture, color, length and highlights of the client’s hair. "To get an exact match, we obtain hair from all over the world," says Farrell. "Caucasian hair usually comes from Moscow, but if a fine texture is needed, Germany will be the best source. Asian hair comes from China. The next step is to integrate the hair into a veil-like material that is tinted to the same color as the scalp so that the replacement system will be indistinguishable when it is integrated into the client’s own hair." To meet the needs of athletic clients, Farrell has developed special processes that allow them to swim when wearing their hair replacement systems

The worldwide demand for Farrell
The systems have become so popular that Farrell maintains a busy schedule of visits to New York, London, Boston and other cities throughout the year. He meets with clients and discusses their precise needs. Then a hair replacement system is designed and prepared to meet those qualifications. "People shouldn’t assume that hair loss is inevitable; they should consider a hair replacement system early," says Farrell. "It will give their self-esteem a big boost."