Male pattern baldness is sometimes referred to as androgenetic alopecia. Most men who suffer from hair loss will experience male pattern hair loss. For some men, the process starts as early as the teen years. While male pattern hair loss is primarily attributed to family genetics, it can also be caused by male sex hormones.
The process of hair loss typically begins the the receding of the hairline by the temples. It also starts with a thinning of hair follicles around the crown of the head. Sometimes, hair thins over several sections of the scalp. Certain men suffer from each of these baldness patterns while others experience only one type. The pattern that each man experiences is primarily determined by his unique genetics.
The Norwood-Hamilton Scale
Most hair loss experts use the Norwood-Hamilton Scale to explain each specific hair loss stage. This guide offers a framework for hair loss but it is not always one hundred percent accurate as each person loses his hair in an individualized manner. Yet the Norwood-Hamilton Scale is commonly used as a hair loss reference because it displays the common progression toward pattern baldness or total baldness.
Stage One of the Norwood-Hamilton Scale shows the typical hairline of a boy or young man. Specifically, it shows the hair toward the upper brow area. It does not display hair loss at the hairline or the crown of the head.
Stage Two illustrates the common change in the typical adult hairline. The average adult hairline is slightly above the crease of the upper brow. In stage two, hair loss is subtle and occurs toward the very front part of the hairline.
Stage Three of the scale represents the first hair loss stage that is significant enough to be labeled as “baldness”. This stage illustrates a substantial receding in a symmetrical manner at the temples of the head. These sections are either lightly covered with hair or fully bald. Additionally, the crown section of the head suffers thinning hair during this stage.
Stage Four displays an advancing of the hair’s recession along the temples near the front section of the head. The crown experiences significant hair loss during this stage and thicker hair functions as a sort of a bridge between the crown and the barren front section of the scalp. However, the sides of the head remain covered with hair during this stage.
Stage Five represents the point at which hair loss is increasingly noticeable from all angles. The above mentioned hair “bridge” between the crown and the front of the head dissipates. This is the point at which baldness along the crown and the temples increases.
Stage Six shows a near disappearance of the hair bridge between the crown and the front of the head. Any hair that remains usually creates a shape like the letter U. At this point, the center section of the head is almost totally bald.
Stage Seven has the highest level of hair loss. Only a small amount of hair remains along the back of the sides of the head and the back section of the scalp.
Hair Restoration for Men and Women
Are you experiencing Alopecia or thinning hair? We encourage you to find out more about the variety of options available to treat hair loss in men and women. It’s important to consult with an experienced and trained restoration professional.
To learn more about which treatment option is right for you, schedule a Frank & Honest Hair Consultation or contact our team in New York City or Columbus, Ohio.
