What Kind Of Hair Loss Do I Have?

Hair loss and male pattern baldness can be avertex.
rather intimate issue for men of all ages. The factClass V -
that there are several different types of hair lossIn the fifth class, the bald areas in the front and
complicated the issue when treatments are beingcrown continue to enlarge and the bridge of hair
considered. This is especially true with over theseparating the two areas begins to break down.
counter treatments for baldness, including MinoxidilClass VI -
and Finasteride.Class VI occurs when the connecting bridge of
The Norwood Classification System -hair disappears, leaving a single large bald area on
In 1975, Dr. O'tar Norwood established thethe front and top of the scalp. The hair on the
Norwood classification system for identifying thesides of the scalp remains relatively high.
different types and phases of balding in men. TheClass VII -
Norwood system is the most widely usedPatients in the final Norwood class have extensive
classification for hair loss in men, and is used byhair loss with only a wreath of hair remaining in
most hair restoration surgeons in determining thethe back and sides of the scalp.
proper action to address balding. It defines twoNorwood Class A -
major patterns of baldness and several lessSeparate from the 7 classes mentioned above,
common types. In the regular Norwood pattern,the Norwood Class A patterns are characterized
two areas of hair loss -- a bitemporal recessionby a front to back progression of hair loss.
and thinning crown -- gradually enlarge andNorwood Class A's lack the connecting bridge
coalesce until the entire front, top and crownacross the top of the scalp and generally have
(vertex) of the scalp are bald. There are sevenmore limited hair loss in the crown, even in
classes of hair loss in the Norwood classificationadvanced stages.
system.Norwood Class A patterns are far less common
Class I -in most men than the regular pattern (less than
The first Norwood class for male hair loss10% of adult men). These patterns are still
represents an adolescent or juvenile hairline and isdeemed significant because of the fact that, since
not actually considered "balding." The adolescentthe hair loss is most dramatic in the front, the
hairline generally rests on the upper brow crease.patients look very bald even when the hair loss is
Class II -minimal.
The second class indicates a progression to theBecause the frontal bald area is not generally
adult or mature hairline that sits a finger's breathresponsive to medication, men with Class A hair
(1.5cm) above the upper brow crease, with someloss often seek surgical hair restoration early.
temporal recession. This also does not representAdditionally, the dense donor area contrasts and
balding.accentuates the baldness on top. Fortunately,
Class III -Class A patients are excellent candidates for hair
Norwood class III is the earliest stage of male hairtransplantation.
loss. It is characterized by a deepening temporalMale Pattern Baldness: Diffuse Patterned and
recession, commonly referred to as a recedingUnpatterned Alopecia -
hairline.Two other types of genetic hair loss in men not
Class III -often considered by doctors, "Diffuse Patterned
The third class, also known as the "Vertex" class,Alopecia" and "Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia," pose
represents early hair loss in the crown of thea significant challenge both in diagnosis and in
head (vertex).patient management. Understanding these
Class IV -conditions is crucial to the evaluation of hair loss in
The fourth class in the Norwood system isboth men and women, particularly those that are
characterized by further frontal hair loss andyoung when the diagnoses may be easily missed,
enlargement of vertex. However, there is still aas they may indicate that a patient is not a
solid band of hair across top separating front andcandidate for surgery.