Meet the Norwood Scale, a scale that helps identify and classify the stages of male pattern baldness, a scale that runs through 1 to 7 stages In this article; we will run you through the different stages of the scale. The image above can also help you in getting a better understanding of the different levels of the scale.
The Different Stages
It is, of course, natural to start with stage 1, at this stage everything is normal, and there are no signs of you losing your hair. When looking at stage 2, we see that the temple has started to show because of a receding hairline. For many men, this can begin to happen as young as 30 years old, some, sadly, even sooner.
Stage 3 is when your hair loss becomes more noticeable. When you look at the picture chart, you will see the characteristic M-shape that your hair makes. There can also be a stage 3 vertex, which also includes losing hair on the back of the head. The Norwood 3 stage is the one where you might start to consider treatment, including medicine or explore hair transplant options. Stage 4 shows further hair loss continuing along the same lines as stage 3.
The Later Stages
The Norwood Scale also includes stages 5 to 7. When you look at the above image, you can see that the hair loss is quite severe in stage five. Although, many men retain the hair at the back of the head for far longer.
When looking at stage 6 and 7, they are not that different. The main difference is that in stage 7, the baldness starts to affect the sides of your hair, while stage 6 is mainly being bald on the top and front of the head.
Using the Norwood Scale To Assess Your Hair
You can use the Norwood scale as a reference for tracking your own hair loss. It is a useful tool to keep an eye on how your hair is growing and where it is not growing. The earlier you figure out that you want treatment, the easier it is to do, and potentially less costly.