How to Spot Early Signs of Male Pattern Baldness
We all lose hair every single day. It’s quite normal to lose around 50-100 hairs per day as part of our natural hair growth cycle.
However, it’s important to be able to tell when you are losing a not-so-normal amount. But how do we do that? How can we decipher between a healthy amount of hair loss and early signs of Male Pattern Baldness (MPB), one of the most common types of hair loss in men?
Male Pattern Baldness, otherwise known as Androgenetic Alopecia, is experienced by roughly 6.5 million men in the UK alone and can cause major problems with confidence and self-perception. MPB describes a loss of hair, usually at the crown of the head or the hairline.
It is a conversation many would like to avoid having, and at Unthin, we understand what a frustrating struggle experiencing hair loss can be. So whatever stage you’re at in your journey, take comfort in the fact that you’re one of many others currently searching for a solution.
Thankfully, treating it is easier than you think. So, it’s important to act when you begin to notice early signs of Male Pattern Baldness.
Don’t know what to look out for? Here are a few things you might want to consider:
Are you actually losing hair?
Whilst it sounds obvious, it’s important to be able to tell when you’re no longer losing a healthy amount of hair. MPB can be a gradual process and doesn’t happen overnight, so this can sometimes be quite difficult.
It can be helpful to compare photos of yourself from a couple of years ago. This will give you a good idea of whether you have actually been losing hair over time.
It’s completely normal to lose hairs down the shower drain or from brushing your hair, but if you begin to notice that you are losing an excessive amount, it may be that you’re experiencing MPB, and it’s probably time to investigate further.
Your hairline is receding
This is something that many tend to notice first and is usually an early sign of MPB. Here, hair will begin to thin around the temples of the head, leaving a ‘U’-shaped hairline. You’ll start to notice your forehead “getting bigger”, when really, your hairline is receding back towards your scalp.
Again, it is helpful to take monthly or bi-monthly photos of your hairline to confirm whether you are in fact losing hair.
Thinning at the crown of the head
A thinning crown is a key sign that you are experiencing MPB. A balding crown is usually pointed out by someone else first, and a lot of the time, a significant amount of hair has already fallen out by this time.
We’d recommend grabbing a trusty hand mirror to check for yourself. If you think you’re experiencing hair loss here, the chances are that you’ll keep doing so. This is a good time to think about getting treatment before it progresses even more.
Take a look at your genetics
Genetics play a big role in Male Pattern Baldness.
Your genetic predisposition to experiencing hair loss in your lifetime influences how a hormone called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) affects and weakens your hair follicles, causing baldness.
Take a look at family photos and see how prevalent baldness is within the men on both sides of your family. If there are a lot, the chances are that you are likely to as well.
You can see more of your scalp these days
If you’re finding that you can see more of your scalp when your hair is wet, or you’ve begun to wear hats to prevent sunburn, you have most likely been losing hair over time. It can be difficult to tell, but comparison photos will soon tell you whether your scalp is more noticeable nowadays.
Getting treatment
Relax, treating your hair loss is easier than you think.
The sooner you start treatment, the better chance you have of preventing further hair loss and even regrowing hair. Find out how we can help you here.
