How Many Men Go Bald?

I was wondering if balding is common, or am I just singled out to be bald while most men are not?

The incidence of balding varies with age, according to an article published by Dr. O’Tar Norwood in his 1975 male pattern baldness article in the Southern Medical Journal. This is reflected in the below diagram (and quoted text), borrowed from the textbook titled Hair Transplantation, by Dr. Walter Unger.

“(A) Incidence of different degrees of male pattern baldness compared by age. (B) Differences in incidence of male pattern baldness between Hamilton’s and Norwood’s studies, with Hamilton’s findings being consistently 20% to 30% higher.”

The frequency of balding is dependent upon age. Dr. Norwood reported it at about 35% in the 50 year old male, Dr. James Hamilton reported it at about 55% in the 50 year old male. As age goes up, the frequency of balding is higher, peaking in both authors studies at about 65 years old (55% and 85% incidence of balding in Norwood and Hamilton, respectively). It should be noted that Dr. Hamilton introduced his hair loss classification scale in the early 1950s, and Dr. Norwood revised this some 20 years later.