Hair

If you have androgenetic alopecia, the first sign you’ll notice is that hair that was once thick and strong is now unable to grow long and thick. This indicates that significant damage has been done by DHT (a male sex hormone) to the hair follicles.

As time goes by, your hair may look thinner, less pigmented and is unable to grow longer. You’ll notice this change most commonly along the hairline or at the crown. This phenomenon is called ‘miniaturisation’. The term is also used to describe female hair loss.

You might see this happening and think that new hairs are growing when these hairs are actually in a state of deterioration.

Over time, as more and more hair follicles get damaged by DHT and undergo miniaturisation, a ‘pattern’ of balding will become apparent.

The progression of this condition is illustrated by the Norwood-Hamilton Scale. Some men will experience thinning more on the crown, while some may notice their hairline being affected more. Not all men who have been diagnosed with male pattern baldness will eventually reach Stage 7, even without treatment.

In drastic cases, usually where there is a strong family history of hair loss, especially starting at a young age, hair loss might quickly progress to Stage 7.