Discover why you’re losing your hair and learn about male-pattern baldness causes, symptoms and effective treatment options. Get medical insights on hair loss prevention and restoration methods.

Published: September 24, 2025

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Male-pattern baldness is a type of androgenic alopecia _— which is a long way of saying hair loss that affects men. This is the most common type of hair loss in men. The early stages of hair loss often begin in your 30s, but some men are affected in their teens and 20s. While this condition is not a serious physical health issue, it can be a source of anxiety at a time when appearance is socially important for both men and women.

“None of us are thrilled to lose our hair, but it’s a normal part of aging, and there are treatments and solutions to help regrow hair or stop the loss of the hair on your head,” said Joshua H. Brandon, M.D., family medicine physician with Norton Community Medical Associates.

What is male-pattern baldness?

Male-pattern baldness causes men to lose the hair from the skin on their heads (scalp). The base of your hairs where they grow out of your scalp shrink, and the hairs get thinner and shorter. Eventually, no hair grows from the follicles. This may be an all-over thinning of the hair or a receding hairline. The Norwood scale for hair loss helps describe how much hair you may have lost. The stages of hair loss are:

• Stage 1: Very little hair loss and little or no recession at the hairline
• Stage 2: Slight hair loss above the ears (temples) and the hairline
• Stage 3: Deeper hairline recession around your temples; hairline above the forehead possibly M-shaped or U-shaped
• Stage 4: Very deep hairline recession and thinning or complete loss of hair at the top of your head (crown)
• Stage 5: Deep hairline recession connecting to the balding spot on your crown
• Stage 6: The hair between your temples and crown thinning or completely gone
• Stage 7: No hair on the top of your head and a thin band of hair around the sides and back of your head

Why am I losing my hair?

While male-pattern baldness can affect any man, there are many factors that contribute to when you start losing your hair, how much, how quickly and where, including:

• Ethnicity: White males are more likely to have male-pattern baldness, followed by those of Afro Caribbean descent. Chinese and Japanese men are less likely to lose their hair. Native Americans, First Nations and Alaska Natives are not typically affected by male-pattern baldness.
• Age: Most men experience hair loss over time.
• Genetics: If you have a family history of early hair loss or male-pattern baldness, or if your mother’s father had male-pattern baldness, chances are greater that you will also experience this type of hair loss.
• Hormonal changes: Your body makes sex hormones, such as testosterone. As you age, those hormone levels shift, and researchers believe this is linked to male-pattern baldness.
• Modern lifestyle: Stress, poor sleep and diet with nutritional deficiencies all can affect hair loss in men.

Temporary versus permanent hair loss

There are many reasons why you may be losing a more than average amount of hair — some may be reversible, and some may not. You should rule out health-related hair loss first.

“There are some health conditions that cause hair loss,” Dr. Brandon said. “Those include thyroid conditions, autoimmune disorders and scalp psoriasis.”

What can I do about hair loss?

The good news is, catching your male-pattern baldness early can help improve appearance and slow the progress of hair loss. Some changes you can make include:

• Manage stress: This type of hair loss is called “telogen effluvium” and is a result of chronic stress or a stressful event. During the stressful event, a large number of hair follicles go into a resting phase, then suddenly release the hairs all at once months after the stressful event.
• Nutrition: Be sure your diet is rich in the vitamins and minerals that contribute to healthy hair growth, including vitamins C and D, zinc, and iron.
• Sleep and exercise: Adequate quality sleep can balance hormones, and exercise reduces stress and promotes healthy blood flow.
• Healthy hair care: Avoid harsh soaps and shampoos or chemical treatments. Tight hairstyles such as braids or dreadlocks can damage the follicles and cause them to stop growing hair. Helmets or hats also can pull on the hair, damaging the follicles.
• Styling tricks: Certain haircuts or styles can help you disguise a receding hairline or thinning hair.

Treatments for male-pattern baldness (that actually work)

If you’re on social media, you may have seen advertisements for supplements, serums and miracle hair-growth products.

“Many products are not backed up by science,” Dr. Brandon said. “Choosing a hair loss treatment grounded in research provides real results safely.”

• Medications: Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines applied to your scalp are usually the first course of treatment for male-pattern baldness. Minoxidil is an example of an OTC medicine. Your health care provider may give you a prescription oral medication, such as finasteride.
• Hair transplant: In this procedure, skin grafts are taken from areas of your body that contain healthy hair — usually the back of your head or upper neck — and moved to bald or thinning areas of your scalp.
• Concealers: Protein-based hair fibers applied to the area may create the appearance of thicker hair in areas of thinning.
• Scalp micropigmentation (SMP): A cosmetic technique, SMP tattoos the scalp to mimic the look of hair follicles to create the illusion of fullness.
• Rosemary oil: This fragrant oil has shown some promise in hair regrowth.

Taking action

Dr. Brandon has personal experience with the physical and emotional results of male-pattern hair loss.

 “I began noticing thinning hair when I was in my 20s. My sister pointed out that she could see my scalp. At that point, over half the hair in that area was already gone. Like many, I felt the emotional weight of this change. However, beginning treatment with finasteride and minoxidil made a significant difference,” he said. “Over time, these medications not only slowed further loss but also helped restore thickness. This personal success motivates me to encourage other men facing the same challenge to explore their options early.”

The earlier you do something about your hair loss or male pattern baldness, the better your outcomes may be.

“Sometimes we feel embarrassed about these issues,” Dr. Brandon said. “Hair loss is perfectly normal and being upset you’re losing hair is an absolutely normal reaction. Society puts a lot of emphasis on how we look. The good news is, there are things we can do to stop or slow hair loss, and sometimes to regrow lost hair.”

A primary care provider can help you with concerns over hair loss. Make an appointment today.