Category: Hair Loss Causes

Hello!

Your blog is wonderful, an excellent information source. You are also one of the few who mentions the mature hairline in a significant amount of detail. So many people get mislead by the classical Norwood 1 image, which is actually a juvenile hairline, as you said. (Many sources claim that only NW 1 means a full head of hair, and everything else is a sign of balding..)

That said, there is something you haven’t mentioned, but seems to be relevant: the size and shape of the head, especially the forehead.

NW 2 hair tends to look more dramatic on people with round faces and large foreheads than on oval heads, for example. In addition, I have noticed that some foreheads tend to have a more rounded shape, while others look more like a V (when viewed from above).

Do you agree on this?

The Norwood hair loss classification describes the variations in male hair loss patterns. It is not the progression or stages one goes through. You can look like you have a full head of hair, but still be a Norwood 6 if you show the thinning pattern. Some may be a Norwood 3 and be that way for the rest of their life. In other words, Norwood 3 rarely, if ever, progresses to a Norwood 6.

With respect to the shape of one’s forehead or even the shape of their head, I agree it may exaggerate the look of a Norwood pattern, but forehead shape and hair loss are not directly related. Perhaps there should be a forehead classification.

What is the solution to the comments made by persons with patchy hair problems on the neck? Is it vitamin deficiency?

Hair loss or patchy hair at the neck can be from a variety of issues. Without a good examination and medical history taking (otherwise known as seeing your doctor), your guess is as good as mine. Sorry.

I’ve been doing a bit of research and noticed when people get a hair transplant there are usually 2 numbers that come into play. folicular Unit grafts and the total hair transplanted. Do surgeons charge per graft or per hair? I think how it works is say a patient had 400 grafts done (per/unit graft) and a total of 1800 hairs. Each grafts varies whether there’d be 1 hair-5 hairs in the bundle. Correct me if i’m wrong.

thanks

You are correct. The fees actually vary by:

1. Charges per session (small, medium, and large)
2. Charges per graft (most common practice)
3. Charges per the hair

The best quality graft is a follicular unit graft and the number of hairs you get varies from 1-4. When some clinics charge per hair, it makes the price to the patient higher, and if grafts contain a larger number of hairs that are naturally found on the patient’s scalp, they may look pluggy. That is why the follicular unit graft is superior to all other types of grafts. Follicular unit grafts can be obtained with a strip method of harvesting, as well as through follicular unit extraction (FUE).

I am a 48 year old male. About 3 years ago I started noticing significant amounts of hair in the shower after showering. I didn’t think much about about it because my very full head of hair didn’t look any different. About a month ago I noticed that I have thinning in the middle of my hairline. The thinning goes back about 1 cm and is about an inch wide. There is no thinning at the temples or the top of my head at all.

Could this be an unusual presentation of MPB or could it be something else? Note that I am vegan and at one time I did have a zinc deficiency. Also my thyroid was borderline low at my last physical. Please advise.

Thanks in advance

Unfortunately, I cannot really guess at what you have just based on an email, unless it seems specific and obvious. In other words, you’d need an examination. Keep in mind we have about 100,000 hairs on a non-balding scalp. You can lose 50,000 hairs and still look normal. If you have male pattern baldness, then it should occur in a pattern. Perhaps your hair loss is too early to see a pattern and it is just starting in the front? Maybe a miniaturization mapping to see the state of your hairs at a microscopic level may be helpful. You should see a doctor for this.

I am not sure how a zinc deficiency or being vegetarian has anything to do with what you describe.

Hi, great blog filled with lots of good tips and reassuring words of encouragement.

I’ve been suffering from diffuse shedding for a year and a half now, losing upwards to 100 strands per day. I’ve been diagnosed with male pattern baldness since my dermatologists were unable to find any other cause. I have my doubts as I’ve been lead to believe that male patter baldness is a gradual thing of the hair whereas I’m shedding hair all over.

I’ve had countless blood work done (all normal) and a scalp biopsy that showed the majority of my hair in the anagen phase.

what could be causing my loss? please please help!

Your issue and statements are confusing and contradictory. I will outline some simple facts that may help.

It is normal to lose 100 – 150 hairs a day. In its place, more hairs are/will grow at other areas to compensate (for those who are not balding). So seeing or counting 100 hairs lost each day is not necessarily diagnostic, since non balding people can have 100-150 hairs lost in a day.

Diffuse shedding as you describe it may not be diffuse shedding in objective terms if you were diagnosed with male pattern baldness. If you have male pattern baldness it would not be diffuse. It would show a pattern. Generally for men hair loss is genetic and there is no specific blood test or biopsies to diagnose male pattern baldness (also known as androgenic alopecia). Male pattern hair loss is a diagnosis mostly made by a physical exam. Good bulk measurements can help establish a diagnosis, as well as a through microscopic examination of the scalp looking for signs of miniaturization. This is offered by many hair transplant doctors and if not, find one that does offer this service.

There is help, but you need to see a doctor for that. If you indeed have MPB, there are medications (Rogaine or Propecia) and surgeries as options.