Determining Final Hair Loss Pattern Based on Age?

Hello Doctors,

Most hair loss experienced by men is due to genetics and therefore there is really nothing that may be done to change one’s genetics. If a young man in his early twenties begins to lose hair with a Norwood 3 hair loss pattern does it mean the hair loss will be progressive and continuous (e.g., in early thirties be at NW4 and so forth)? I’m in my early twenties and heading to a NW3 hair loss pattern so in general does it mean my hair loss will get worse as I get older or will I keep that NW3 pattern up to my senior years? Also, is being at NW3 at early twenties a bad sign or greater probability that hair loss will get worse?

Thanks

You can’t just use the age you start losing hair to find a clear view of your final hair loss pattern. You could start losing hair at 40 years old and stop at a Norwood 4. You could start losing hair at 20 years old and proceed to a Norwood 6. Your hair loss might stop at a Norwood 3.

Mapping the scalp for miniaturization will help you see the progression over time so we can estimate the pattern you’ll get to. At this point, there’s no way to say whether your loss will get worse.