Is My Hair Thinning?
Both men and women can experience hair loss, and its often a stressful occurrence
. Is your hair really thinning, and if so, how bad is it? There are methods for evaluating and monitoring this issue for either gender.
In the 1950s, Dr. James Hamilton developed the first clinical method of charting the stages of male pattern baldness. In the 1970s, Dr. OTar Norwood (no, Ive never met anyone named OTar) revised and updated Hamiltons chart; the results are called the Hamilton-Norwood Scale or, more often, the Norwood Scale of Male Pattern Baldness.
The Norwood Scale charts a mans current level of hair loss and predicts (make of that what you will) the pattern that could likely occur. Here is an overview of the seven stages:
I.Normal, full head of hair.
II.Classic receding hairline. In a later portion of this stage, the hairline may recede as far back as the ears.
III.The hairline has a clearly defined peninsula, with sides deeply receded. A bald spot roughly the size of a silver dollar begins at the crown of the head.
IV.The middle peninsula at the hairline is lost. The bald spot grows to the size of a muffin cup.
V.The hairline marches steadily towards the bald spot, which has grown to the size of a softball.
VI.At last, the hairline and bald spot meet.
VII.Hair grows no higher than ear levela swath of hair grows from one ear to the other.
Women also have genetic pattern balding, but it follows a different pattern. There are four scales relating to female baldingthe Savin Scale, the Ludwig Scale, the Olsen Scale, and the Ebling-Rook Scale. All four are nearly the same; the Savin Scale is slightly more detailed. Female pattern balding is charted at nine stages.
I-1 and 2: Normal, full head of hair.
I-3: Wider part, less than one inch in width.
I-4: Part widens to roughly between one and two inches in width.
II-1: Part widens to roughly between two and three inches in width.
II-2: The top of the head has a bald patch roughly the size of a softball.
III: The top of the head has bald patch roughly the size of a melon.
Advanced: This stage displays no hair growing on the top of the head.
Frontal: This is a wide part, similar to stage I-4, with the gap extending into the hairline.
If you are male and experiencing hair loss, you might consider seeing a dermatologist; having your condition analyzed and charted by a doctor can help you make decisions about treatments you might like to pursue. Women experiencing hair loss should see a dermatologist or general practitioner right away; womens hair loss can be caused by a wide variety of factors. An underlying health condition may be the root of the problem.
by: T. D. Crawford
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