But as we know, many folks lose a whole lot more than that -- and never grow them back.

While some are comfortable with the prospect of thinning or balding hair, others are not.

That's why hair loss remedies are big business.

One West Virginia business claims it can regrow hair using laser therapy, without surgery.

"Laser Hair Therapy is simply a low-level laser light that stimulates the follicles of the head and scalp to grow hair," said Craig Black, who runs Hair Wizards in Huntington.

And while not everyone can benefit, Black said the $1,800 treatment gets results.

We decided to test the claim ourselves. Photographer Jay Melvin has agreed to participate in an experiment that will follow him over the course of a year.

Before starting the treatment, Melvin visited Dr. Amy Vaughn, a Huntington dermatologist.

"Actually, you're a good candidate to try something earlier because yours is more just bi-temporal and you're getting a little more thinning here," she told Melvin.

Being a good candidate is key.

Black says this won't work for everyone. For example, certain diseases will disqualify you. Also, if you've had a shiny pate for more than 18 months, Black said, chances of regrowth would be slim.

What causes some to have more hair and others less? In most cases, it's genetics, experts said, especially sensitivity to the hormone DHT. It's a problem that affects men and women of all races.

Black's initial evaluation of Melvin took an hour. Black said it showed he would be a good candidate for the treatment.

"Within two to five years, he would be looking at, probably his hair receding, be gone, literally gone," Black said. "All through his top, out probably to just where it starts breaks over the top."

After passing the test, Melvin underwent the laser treatment.

He didn't feel a thing, and Black said it's FDA-approved safe. The non-invasive technology has been used in Europe for more than a decade.

The apparatus looks like a salon-style hair dryer outiffed with little red lights. Black said the lights will help stimulate Melvin's metabolism and blood flow in the scalp.

To undergo the treatment, Melvin will need to sit under the lights for 30 minutes -- twice a week for six months. He'll also have to use special shampoos and take dietary supplements as part of the regimen.

"This is not black magic," Black said. "What we're doing is restimulating your body to do what it does ordinarily."

We'll check back in three months to see how much his scalp has been restimulated.

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