Hair loss - when to say something...and when not

Here's a question recently posted to the Philadeplhia Inquirer:

Dear Amy: A 21-year-old friend is slowly but undeniably losing his hair. He seems unable to admit it to himself.

I'd like to suggest he start treatment, but I'm afraid he will get angry.

Is there any way to broach the topic without harming our friendship?

Amy comes up with what I thought was pretty fair advice:

Dear Worried: I find it hard to imagine your friend isn't aware of his hair loss. Men seem to have an extra-special connection to their follicles. Perhaps he's accepted his emerging scalp and just doesn't feel like discussing it with you.

If you have experience and have reversed the inevitable, share your treatment with your friend. If you want to point out the obvious and make suggestions based on infomercials, it would be best to keep your thoughts to yourself.

I particularly like the last line about infomercials (although I know people who swear by the ThighMaster!)

Even though I hate having lost my hair I've never had a problem with other people mentioning it. Perhaps I'm lucky in that any comments have always been good natured and most of the time if there's a joke being made I'm the one who's making it. Some people feel very differently about their hair loss, though, and for a minority their life is almost a living hell, one where they're just waiting for someone to say something with a feeling approaching dread. To anyone in that situation there is, perhaps, very little that can be said of any real use, other than to say you're not alone.

Hair loss is a difficult process, even traumatic at times, and we all need to be sensitive to those going through it.