What Stage of Baldness Am I In?

Looking at your hair falling and that hairline receding and wondering how far into baldness you are and what solutions are available? Worry not – we have been there too. And to be honest, the information on the internet is very very confusing. Everyone from your mother to Dr. B**ra to the marketing head of that large MNC wants to sell you hair!

But worry not. We will try and provide you with exactly what we think you’re looking for. Now don’t think we are not selling things (we are!) but we also want to change the thinking around baldness in India. We want to truly educate so we have less reasons to confuse you.

Jumping into stages of baldness! Scientifically there are 7 stages of baldness (male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia) per the Hamilton-Norwood scale. It is not 100% reliable because it is qualitative depending on whom you ask but it is pretty solid guidance.

Here is a pictorial representation of the different stages for you to judge.

Clearly stage 1 to 3 is frontal hair loss. Stage 3 vertex/stage 4 onwards is frontal and vertex hair loss that becomes progressively pronounced.

Still in doubt? Try our AI tool <Link>

Most people start with stage 1 in the early to mid-20s and move to stage 4+ unless treated with ~6% loss of hair fibre year on year (Ouch!).

You’re probably thinking “Wow this is helpful – I know what stage I am broadly in now but what are the options for me?” We gotcha. Read on. Needless to say – consider this article only as a guide and ALWAYS talk to your doctor before you decide to take medicines.

Mild to Moderate (Stage 1 to 3): Stage 1 doesn’t need any treatment, but for most men it is a possible sign of things to come. Stage 2 and 3 is when you should start looking at possible treatments. Minoxidil (Topical) and Finasteride (Oral) are the 2 scientifically proven ones that work.

• Minoxidil (2-5% lotion):
  • Effect: Moderate to dense growth in 30-35% of patients
  • Treatment Length: Stopping treatment restarts AGA.
  • Side Effects: Dermatitis in 6.5% patients and rare cases of high BP and tachycardia in 1% recipients.

• Finasteride:
  • Effect: Stabilizes hairline in 70-80% of people who take it; Results in mild to moderate hair growth in 37% (frontal loss) and 61% (vertex loss) of men too in the first 2 years.
  • Treatment Length: Stopping treatment restarts AGA.
  • Side Effects: Rare and include decreased libido in 1.8% of the recipients vs 1.3% in the placebo group, erectile dysfunction in 1.3% of the recipients vs 0.7% in the placebo group, & decreased ejaculate volume in 0.8% of patients vs 0.4% in the placebo group

If you think you are in stage 1, watch out for stage 2. If you are in stage 2 or 3, talk to your dermatologist and see what’s the best way to keep your hair.

Severe (Stage 4 and above): There is no proven treatment other than hair transplant surgery. Treatments mentioned above may stabilize your hairline even here but there is no clear scientific proof.

We are not big fans of the transplant surgery, but we’ll write about them if you want us to!

Whew that was a heavy section. Now you’re thinking about biotin gummies, lasers, and oils, eh? Well, there is no good scientific evidence for ANY of those solutions taking care of AGA or curing baldness. Sure, you can try them, sure that plus a bunch of factors may help you too but scientists cannot find a clear connection between them.

Our unsolicited advice? Eat well and hit your macros, workout, manage your stress and live your life as well as you can – that gives you a confidence that no hairline can. If you are in stages 1 to 3, try and keep your hair! Stage 4 and above – we strongly recommend shaving your head off! But hey this is just unsolicited advice from a not so unbiased party.

So now you know scientifically (and as transparently as we could be), your stage of baldness and what your options are.

Worried about hair fall and want a friendly conversation? Hit us up!

Wondering about how bald India is? Very! Read here.