Perhaps you recall the day you realized you might be losing your hair. It may have been while brushing your teeth that you noticed a loss of hair around your temples. Or it may have been that an acquaintance or buddy ribbed you about the appearance of a bald spot at your crown. Either way, for most men it delivers a sinking feeling. Now you may be asking yourself, “Will I go bald?” and “How can I tell?”
Male pattern baldness (MPB) is a genetically inherited condition that is passed down from either your mother or father’s side of the family. Because MPB can skip generations and may also skip brothers within the same generation, there are no easy answers to the questions above.
In attempting to answer “Will I go bald?”, it’s very useful to see where you are on the Norwood scale , which is a classification system that illustrates progressive hair loss patterns in males.
I’ll break things down by looking at a couple of different scenarios.
Let’s say you are 55 years old and a Norwood 2. Your father and both uncles on your mother’s side are around a Norwood 5A. Your chances of progressing to a Norwood 5 are extremely low. In fact, your natural trajectory from age 55 will probably have you at a Norwood 2 or 3 by age 70. It’s also conceivable that you could remain at a Norwood 2 by using Rogaine® or finasteride.
Now let’s say you are 23 years old and a Norwood 2A. Receding at the temples is already evident, and your hairline is also experiencing the first signs of recession. Your father and uncles all have full heads of hair. Nonetheless, you be at risk for continued hair loss and are at risk for becoming a Norwood 6 or 7. Medical therapies such as minoxidil and finasteride are your best bets at slowing the progression. Seeing hair loss at such a young age is an indication to use as many treatment modalities as possible and you might consider the “Hair Survival Program.”
Take heart! With modern hair transplant techniques such as the ARTAS robot for FUE, it is possible to restore your hair to from a Norwood 6 to about a Norwood 3, while appearing completely natural and undetectable as a hair transplant.
Chances are, if you’re visiting websites devoted to hair restoration, you are worried about your hair loss or the potential for loss. The sooner you address your unique situation the greater the odds are that you will keep the hair you have or even turn back the clock with a hair transplant.
Contact my clinic for a consultation or ask me a question about your unique situation and how we might treat it.
Dr. James Harris is an internationally renowned hair transplant surgeon, inventor of patented follicular unit excision technology, published author in the field of hair restoration and an advocate for patient care. He is currently at the forefront of research and development in the field of hair cloning. Learn more about Dr. Harris or read rave reviews from his patients.
