Men tend to start losing their hair in their late twenties and early thirties in one of several specific ways, and it becomes more severe over the years. While the process can be a bit slower or faster for different people, there is an established classification system to determine the severity of male pattern baldness called the Hamilton Norwood scale.
Most hair transplant clinics use this specific method because it is simple and intuitive, with clearly defined stages of baldness accompanied by illustrations that make things clear even for the layman.
This makes it an invaluable tool for doctors to diagnose their patients, explain the available treatment options, and evaluate the result of hair loss treatments.
Stages of Hair Loss
According to the Norwood scale, there are a total of 7 separate stages of male pattern baldness:
- Stage 1: There are no perceptible signs of hair thinning or receding. This is also sometimes called the control stage or the adolescent hairline.
- Stage 2: The hairline has started to recede slightly, around 1 to 2 cm, at the temples. Most adult men in their early thirties and onward will be at this stage, which is why it is also known as a mature hairline.
- Stage 3: There is now a significant amount of balding, with the hairline receding deeply at the temples, the so-called temporal gulfs, leaving a “crest” or resembling an “M” or “V” shape.
- Stage 3 vertex: A slight variation where the hairline remains slightly recessed, like in stage 2, but the top of the head, known as the vertex, experiences severe thinning and balding.
- Stage 4: Here, the recession is even more pronounced, with very little or no hair remaining at the vertex. There is only a narrow band of hair connecting the sides of the head.
- Stage 5: The balding areas at the front and back are very pronounced, but there is still some hair on the top of the head to separate these two distinct parts. It is also known as advanced balding.
- Stage 6: This is the classic “Monk’s hairstyle”, where the patches on the vertex join with the balding area at the temples to create a smooth scalp from the forehead to the back of the head. There is only a wide band of hair going from just above the ears around to the back of the neck.
- Stage 7: The most severe stage of hair loss, where there is nothing on the top and only thinning and sparse hair in the “Monk” zone.
Baldness can progress gradually through these steps over a few decades, while for some it may be a rapid process from stages 2 to 5 within a single decade.
How Do Clinics Diagnose Male Pattern Baldness?
The doctors will typically look at your current hairline and compare it to the Norwood scale, while also taking note of your medical history and whether the men in your family have experienced baldness, and to what extent.
When examining female pattern baldness, the Ludwig scale is used.
What are The Treatments for Hair Loss?
While there are some available treatments ranging from natural remedies to laser treatments, these can only slow down the progression with varying levels of success. Here is a quick overview of some of the more common options:
- Essential oils: Rosemary, argan, and fenugreek oils can be used in combination with a mild shampoo during stage 2 to limit hair thinning and recession. These are somewhat effective for most men.
- PRP and Laser Treatments: These can be useful for preventing further progression toward the later phases and are often used for those in Stage 3 and 3 Vertex, but are of limited use past that point.
- Prescription and over-the-counter drugs: Common medications like Rogaine can be applied to the scalp to slow the progression, and Finasteride pills have been shown to slow down balding in most men and even promote new hair growth in just over half. However, these drugs have a series of potential side effects, and the beneficial effects stop as soon as you stop taking them.
The only proven and highly effective treatment for men interested in full hair restoration, regardless of their current stage on the Norwood scale, is hair transplant surgery. In fact, clinics like Asli Tarcan boast a 95–98% success rate with DHI and FUE techniques and provide additional PRP treatments to promote faster healing and hair growth. There is now scarring, and the effects are natural-looking and long-lasting.
What Are the Common Causes of Male Pattern Hair Loss?
Balding in men is usually caused by a genetic disorder called androgenetic alopecia, which affects over half the male population across the globe.
It is essentially an overactive response to androgenic hormones like DHT that causes the lifecycle of a hair follicle to become much shorter and even leads to the hairs themselves becoming shorter and thinner.
However, it can also be due to various hormonal and environmental influences.
Can You Prevent Male Pattern Hair Loss?
While some natural oils and pharmaceutical drugs can help slow down different areas of hair loss, they cannot be taken as a preventative measure.
In most cases, balding is a matter of genetics, so if your father, grandfather, or other men in your close family have had it, chances are you will experience it too, no matter what your hair care routine is like.
However, that doesn’t mean that it is irreversible. On the contrary! With modern procedures and cutting-edge equipment, a hair transplant in turkey with clinics like Asli Tarcan can achieve incredible success rates and help men in advanced stages of hair loss, all the way to 6 and 7 on the Norwood scale, regain their youthful look.
Experienced surgeons can take up to 6000 grafts from the donor area at the back of the neck, which is the most resistant to balding, and implant them on the top and front of the head, leading to lush and thick hair growth within a year after the surgery.