Women lose hair on an inherited (genetic) basis too, but the female pattern is more diffuse, with less likelihood of the frontal hairline being lost. Although some women may notice hair thinning as early as their 20s, the pace of hair loss tends to be gradual, often taking years to become obvious to others. (It's common to hear women with what appear to have a full head of hair exclaim, "This is nothing--you should have seen how thick it used to be!")

Notions about baldness being inherited through the mother's family, just like stories about hats choking off follicles or long hair pulling on the roots, are just folklore.