Dear Ann Landers,
'm a 17- year-old guy who has asked at least 50 people if they know of a solution to my problem. No one does. You are my last hope. Is there any way to prevent baldness? My hair is getting awfully thin and I just hate to see it go. My fa-ther was completely bald at an early age and I'm afraid I'm going to be, too. What causes baldness? Can anything be done to prevent it? An answer from you would be greatly appreciated by me and thousands of other guys who read your column.- SOUTH CAROLINA BLUES

DEAR S.C.,
Some hair loss is tempo-rary, if it is caused by illness or anxi-ety. But usually baldness that comes on gradually, and begins at an early age, is hereditary and permanent. For centuries men have tried every-thing from herbal ointments to sheep dung. Nothing works-so save your money. If you become deeply de-pressed, you might consider trans-plants. But it is an expensive, painful, time-consuming procedure and doesn't always come out satisfactorily. Some women think baldies are sexy -so if you can psych yourself out and learn to like your shining dome, it would be the best solution of all. Dermatologists see little chance that one day soon a "magic formula" will be discovered that will grow hair on a bald head. Baldness has a low priority in medical research. It doesn't kill people. It only hurts their pride. If there is such a discovery, it will probably come as a spinoff of research into genetics. Baldness is part of the individual's inheritance but little is known about its transmission. The widespread belief that the mother carries the dominant genes is now in doubt. Once baldness begins (as early as the late teens) nothing will stop it, says dermatologist Robert Stolar of Georgetown University Medical School. Brushing, frequent or infrequent washing, keeping hair long or short, mas-sage and electrical stimulation-nothing will make a difference. Hair "re-storers" benefit only the promoters. Baldness can accompany certain diseases. When the body recovers and the hair grows back, whatever hair treatment one happens to be undergoing at the time is unjustly credited. Progression of baldness can be slowed by administering female sex hor-mones, but the cure may be worse than the disease. Men who have tried it find they lose their beards and develop secondary female sex characteristics, such as enlargement of breasts, as well as sexual impotency. Transplantation of hair is a well-established procedure and Dr. Stolar provides it only when a patient insists it is important. "We do a large number of transplants, but I do not recommend it. To me it's a highly personal decision that should be made by the individual. If he feels he needs it, I think a doctor should give him that service. If the individ-ual can adapt to the loss of hair and feel comfortable I would say don't go in for transplantation." In Dr. Stolar's view, baldies can take comfort in the likelihood that their day will return. "I have lived long enough to have people shave their scalps and their beards," he said. "Now we have reversed that trend and gone back to the hairy phase of the cycle. It may well be in another five years we will go back to the hairless state again." credit: Arthur J. Snider, Science and Medicine, Chicago Sun-Times. Barking Dogs Not a week has passed since I have been writing my column that I have not received at least fifty letters about barking dogs. Some letters are several pages long. All are filled with anger and frustration-the culmination of bottled rage. Not infrequently these letters end with threats. Example: "If something isn't done I'm going to buy a gun and kill that mutt." I print a barking dog letter about twice a year but the problem continues to show up in the mail regularly. I sometimes wonder if anyone is reading my column. Here is a typical complaint: