When is the Right Time to Start Treating Hair Loss?
- The first signs of balding (MPHL) vary widely from person to person. They may appear during adolescence, typically starting around the ears, forehead, or on the crown of your head.
- MPHL is continuous, and usually progresses over many years. It can start as early as childhood or adolescence, though it may present differently than MPHL in adulthood (focusing on the vertex).
- Most of the time, the Hamilton-Norwood system is used to measure MPHL, but other systems are sometimes used. This divides the signs of balding into seven distinct categories, starting at the early signs of hair loss. It also covers a rarer ‘Type A’ form of MPHL.
- The most effective way to treat MPHL is to seek treatments as early as possible, which means talking to a practitioner during the early signs of hair loss, for the best potential outcome.
- If you’d like to learn more about hair loss treatments, and whether there are some that could be right for you, all you have to do to get started with Felix is complete a short online assessment today!
No matter who you are, hair loss is a very real possibility for us all as we age. It can be especially frustrating for people who suddenly begin losing hair, when there’s been no previous signs of balding.
To help you better recognize the first signs of hair thinning, some of the reasons hair loss occurs, and how to tell if you’re balding, we’ve put together some useful information for you.
FOR CLARIFICATION: This page will focus specifically on Male Pattern Hair Loss (MPHL). If you’d like to learn more about hair loss in women, click here for more information.
If you’re interested in talking to a practitioner about whether you could be experiencing the early signs of hair loss, and if there are treatments that may work for you, get started with Felix today.
What Are the First Signs of Hair Thinning?
If you’ve been wondering “what are the first signs of hair loss?”, we’ve got answers for you. The first signs of Male Pattern Hair Loss (MPHL) can actually appear during childhood or adolescence, in some people.
Early stage male pattern baldness (also called terminal hair loss) usually starts in the temporal scalp (around your ears), mid-frontal scalp (forehead), or vertex (crown) of your scalp.
The severity of your hair loss will vary drastically from one person to another. Some people experience the most hair loss on the top of their head, while others may notice the most hair loss at the front. This is where we get the phrase ‘receding hairline’.
MPHL is a continuous, long-term condition that progresses slowly over the course of many years. It occurs in waves of activity, where you’ll rapidly lose hair for a certain period of time, followed by periods of minimal hair loss.
SIDE NOTE: We should mention here that androgenetic alopecia (also known as Male Pattern Hair Loss or MPHL), which appears during childhood or adolescence, seems to favour the vertex areas of the head; while sparing the frontal hairline and temples during its early progression. It’s one of the most common methods for how to tell if you’re balding.
If you’d like to talk to a practitioner about hair loss treatments today, complete a short assessment, and one of Felix’s practitioners will be happy to evaluate your health, medical history, and current hair loss to see if any treatments may be beneficial for you.
How to Tell If You're Balding:
Most of the time, the Hamilton-Norwood scale is used to classify MPHL, although there are other systems that are sometimes used.
The Hamilton-Norwood scale divides clinical findings into seven distinct stages, as well as offers a visual depiction of the sequential signs and stages of balding.
The Hamilton-Norwood scale also describes a less common ‘Type A’ variant of hair loss, where people only demonstrate hair loss/movement of the anterior hairline.
When to Start Using Hair Loss Treatment
The best way to treat hair loss is to start at the first signs of hair thinning, which is why many practitioners recommend seeking treatment during early signs of hair loss, rather than waiting until reaching the later stages.
Responses to therapies for MPHL are often incomplete, and there are some medications that have been shown to slow hair loss more effectively than promoting hair regrowth.
Starting treatment as early as possible, gives you the opportunity to slow the rate at which your hair is falling out; even if hair regrowth isn’t a possibility for you.
When to Speak to Your Doctor About Hair Loss
You should take time to talk to your healthcare practitioner, as soon as you start to notice early stages of male pattern baldness, or even the first signs of hair thinning on your head.
REMEMBER: The early signs of terminal hair loss will likely appear around your temporal scalp (around your ears), in your mid-frontal scalp (on your forehead), or at the vertex (crown) of your scalp.
If you’d like to talk to a practitioner from Felix about what hair loss treatments might be appropriate for you, just complete a short assessment (at your convenience) to get started with Felix today.
With Felix in your corner, you can take back control of your health and your hairline, so that you can get back to living life on your terms - the way it should be.
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