The 7 Stages Of Male Pattern Baldness Explained

A Review Of The 7 Stages Of Male Pattern Baldness

In today’s world, men like to take care of themselves and our hair plays a big role in how we feel day-to-day. It has become much more acceptable for men to take pride in their appearance and most of us like to ensure our hair style is well maintained. Something we don’t tend to talk about often is how hair loss can impact the way we feel about ourselves. Male pattern baldness is a problem that affects a lot of men but few face up to the fact of it while it happens. This can lead to trying to do something about it when it’s too late. Losing your hair comes as a shock, no matter how prepared you might be.

Are genetics to blame?

While some may blame genetics, stress, smoking, and others may blame hormones like Dihydrotestosterone or DHT for short, there is no definitive answer to why some men lose their hair and others don’t. There are factors that can speed up the hair loss process such as hat wearing and over styling but it’s important to acknowledge that any man is susceptible to hair loss at any time in their life.

The bottom line is men are never too young to start losing their hair. Men rarely feel comfortable addressing their health in any form, much less seek medical advice. The knock-on effect can be pretty big if a problem is completely ignored. This is especially true with hair loss. The Norwood scale exists to help men understand the different stages of male pattern baldness. This makes it easier to manage and cope with changes to hair density. Below are the 7 stages of male pattern baldness to help anyone worried about losing their hair.

How quickly and at what rate you lose your hair will depend on several factors but the Norwood scale will give you an overview of what you can expect.

The seven stages of male pattern baldness.

Stage one

There is very light hair loss in the first stage that may be overlooked. Thinning around the temples might begin to be noticeable, and you might also think that your hairline has started to line out or recede slightly. In some cases, there might be so little change that it’s difficult to decide whether it is the beginning of hair loss or not. Some people might spot this but as it is usual that the change in this stage is small, it is easy for men to ignore it based on the fact that very little hair loss has happened. Many men during this stage are avoidant and don’t face the fact that their hair loss has started until they reach the next, more noticeable stage.

Stage two

This is when hair loss will start to become noticeable. The second stage of male pattern baldness progresses to highlight a receding hairline. It will take place above the upper brow and around the temples. Another classic sign that male pattern baldness is on the horizon is when you see the appearance of a widow’s peak, or an existing widow’s peak becomes more pronounced and noticeable.

Another sign may creep up on you as you don’t take any notice until it begins to take shape. This is the dreaded M-shape or horseshoe that is so commonly associated with hair loss. Although it alters the shape of the hairline, any loss is relatively low at this stage but it should be taken as a sign that further hair loss is to come.

Stage three

Stage three is the time when men have to accept what is happening. Prior to this you might have been able to deny what is happening but at stage three denial is not going to work. It is now that the baldness becomes visible on the scalp. Hair on the temple now recedes to the point where there is little or no hair there at all. On top of the head, hair becomes thinner and you may start to see bald areas starting to emerge. As you won’t be able to pretend hair loss hasn’t happened anymore, it is at this stage that you need to decide what you want to do; accept your hair loss journey, or attempt to cover any thinning or bald patches that have emerged.

At this point, it can become more difficult to cover up areas where the hair is no longer present. Some may use hair thickening fibres to fill in thinning areas so they are less visible. Hair fibres can add the appearance of thicker density but are not practical for everyday life as they are not waterproof.

Stage four

You will already be aware that you are losing hair and the fourth stage of male pattern baldness will confirm it. Larger bald spots will start to appear on the scalp that will create cause for concern. The crown area will start thinning out even more which could create a wide bald area around the vertex or crown of the head. Alternatively, this may occur towards the front of the head deepening the M hairline shape. You are likely to receive comments from people at this stage as your hair loss becomes much more noticeable. If you decide to try to cover your thinning or bald patches in stage three, you will find it increasingly more difficult as your hair loss increases.

Stage five

Stage five is where the hair loss becomes far more severe. The thin band of hair that existed between the crown and hairline is now a lot thinner. In many cases, this will happen with men when reaching the age of 50, but it can also occur at a younger age, depending on genetics. This is when you might start to consider treatments such as scalp micropigmentation or a hair transplant. Scalp micropigmentation or SMP will help recreate a permanent hairline on the scalp and remove patches and bald spots. It can recreate the look of hair follicles so that you look like you have shaved your hair and not that you are experiencing male pattern baldness. While some men might not have chosen a shaved hair look before they started to experience hair loss, it can be a better alternative to looking like you are going bald.

Stage six

Hair loss now becomes concentrated in the middle of the scalp and the bridge of the hair has disappeared. A horseshoe shape is now prominent along with the remaining hair that exists on the side of the head. Hair around the ear area will also start to thin as this stage continues to progress. Once hair loss has got to this stage there is very little you can do in terms of hiding that you are going bald. Products to make hair look thicker will not be effective and so it’s time to decide what you want to do next. Many men decide to shave their hair off at this point as it gives them a more assured look and confidence about how they feel.

Stage seven

The last of the 7 stages of male pattern baldness. The horseshoe pattern is visible on the sides and the back of the scalp. The top of the head will be completely bald. Hair is typically thicker at the back of the head which is why it is usually the last area to go. However, all is not lost as scalp micropigmentation can still provide a full hairline at this stage.

With two-thirds of men experiencing hair loss by the age of 35, male pattern baldness is very common not something to panic too much about. That said, it can harm your confidence and mental health. Therefore, it is best to do your research so you feel more in control and aware of your options at all stages of male pattern baldness.