Male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) is a common issue that can happen to men of all ages. It can cause diffuse hair loss across the entire scalp, a receding hairline, a bald patch, or a mix of hair loss symptoms.
Male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) is a common issue that can happen to men of all ages. It can cause diffuse hair loss across the entire scalp, a receding hairline, a bald patch, or a mix of hair loss symptoms.
It’s easy to panic when you notice the early signs of hair loss — whether that’s a little more hair in the shower drain or a clear bald spot. However, the good news is that genetic hair loss is very treatable, typically with male pattern baldness medications like finasteride and minoxidil.
Below, we’ll explain what causes male pattern baldness (sometimes called androgenic alopecia), plus its symptoms and risk factors.
Perhaps most importantly, we’ll also cover everything you need to know about treating male pattern baldness, from the most effective hair loss medications to over-the-counter products for stimulating hair growth.
Male pattern baldness is totally harmless — medically speaking, at least. But it does have some symptoms and tends to follow a gradual and predictable pattern of hair loss (they don’t call it a “pattern baldness” for nothing).
Here are the male pattern baldness symptoms to look out for:
Receding hairline. A classic male pattern baldness symptom in men is a receding hairline, which creates a characteristic “M” shape. A receding hairline usually starts with subtle hair loss above the temples.
Thinning at the crown. Hair begins to thin at the top of the head (the crown), eventually leading to a bald spot.
Overall balding. Male pattern baldness follows a fairly predictable pattern, with the hairline receding in stages. This process usually shows up as balding at the crown of the head and a band of hair visible around the sides. (You can learn more about receding hairline stages in our guide.)
Shorter hair growth cycle. Hair strands become finer and shorter as the natural hair growth cycle shortens, resulting in less dense hair.
Miniaturization of hair follicles. While you can’t see this male pattern baldness symptom, research shows that hair follicles shrink, producing finer hair that eventually stops growing altogether.
You’re in the right place if you’ve ever wondered what causes male pattern baldness from a physiological standpoint.
Two main factors cause male pattern baldness:
Your production of androgenic hormones —also called male sex hormones or just androgens — such as dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
Your genetic sensitivity to the effects of these hormones
Keep scrolling for details.
DHT is an androgen produced naturally by your body. It’s created as a byproduct of the sex hormone testosterone, meaning your body regularly converts a small amount of the testosterone you create into DHT.
This conversion happens thanks to an enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase (5AR).
DHT has an important job early on — it creates male sex organs in utero, and later, in puberty, it’s the hormone responsible for developing male characteristics like a deeper voice and body hair. But later in life, DHT plays a starring role in the development of male pattern baldness.
DHT causes hair loss by attaching to androgen receptors in your scalp. Once attached, the hormone causes your hair follicles to shrink and weaken through a process called miniaturization.
As your hair follicles miniaturize, they produce finer hairs and eventually lose the ability to grow new hairs at all, resulting in visible thinning and hair loss.
For some men, DHT isn’t a big deal. It circulates freely in their bodies without affecting their hair in any noticeable way.
However, some men are highly sensitive to the effects of DHT and notice hair loss that starts in their early-to-mid 20s or even in their late teens.
The more sensitive your hair follicles are to DHT-related damage, the quicker you’ll likely notice your hair thinning and falling out.
Not all hair follicles on your scalp are equally sensitive to the effects of DHT. Even in men with a genetic predisposition to hair loss, it’s common for a rim of hair to remain at the back and sides of the scalp.
Our detailed guide to DHT and male pattern baldness explains more about how this form of hair loss can develop and the role androgen hormones play in genetic balding.
Certain factors can put you at more risk of dealing with male pattern baldness. Many of these risk factors can also affect the severity of hair loss you experience, from a mild receding hairline to full baldness.
Male and female pattern hair loss is at least partly genetic. This means you could be more at risk of losing your hair if you have a parent or grandparent with noticeable baldness.
Contrary to popular belief, there’s no high-quality scientific evidence to suggest that baldness is passed down only from your mother’s father. In fact, experts aren’t yet aware of the exact genes that cause male pattern baldness to develop.
Age is a main cause of hair loss. The effects of DHT can accumulate throughout your lifetime, meaning you’re more likely to notice significant hair loss as you get older.
Research shows that male androgenetic alopecia is the most common form of hair loss in men, affecting as much as 30 to 50 percent of men by age 50.
But age isn’t the only factor involved in baldness in men. If you have a high sensitivity to DHT, you may notice early-stage stage male pattern baldness developing in your 20s, 30s, or late teens.
If you take medications that increase the production of testosterone or DHT, you might notice signs of male pattern baldness sooner than later.
For example, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) could cause you to develop more noticeable male pattern baldness.
Most of the time, a healthcare provider can diagnose male pattern baldness with a quick look at your scalp, especially if you already have a clear hair loss pattern.
At your appointment with a dermatologist or other healthcare provider, they’ll look at your hair and scalp. They’ll likely ask questions about your lifestyle, family, and any medical conditions you have.
Sometimes, your healthcare provider may use a dermatoscope to examine your scalp more closely.
This process, called dermoscopy, can determine whether you’ve lost a significant amount of hair, if your hair follicles have significantly miniaturized, and the distance between your active hair follicles.
Most healthcare providers determine the severity of male pattern baldness using a system called the Norwood scale (sometimes also called the Hamilton-Norwood scale).
This scale has reference diagrams for various hair loss patterns, from a mild receding hairline to almost complete hair loss.
Sometimes, your healthcare provider may also perform a hair-pull test to look for active shedding.
The test is simple: They’ll grasp 20 to 60 hairs close to the base of the scalp and gently tug. If more than 10 percent of the hair is pulled from the scalp, it’s generally an indication that you’re actively losing hair.
The good news for balding men everywhere is that male pattern baldness is treatable.
Since hair loss tends to get worse over time, the sooner you take action to treat male pattern baldness after noticing symptoms, the more likely you’ll be able to protect your hair follicles from further damage.
Put another way, it’s easier to hold onto the hair you have than fully restore the hair you’ve lost.
Below, we’ll cover male pattern baldness treatment options.
The most effective treatments for male pattern baldness are the hair loss medications finasteride and minoxidil.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved oral finasteride and topical minoxidil for treating male pattern baldness. Topical finasteride and oral minoxidil are also available off-label in some cases.
Finasteride (the active ingredient in brand-name Propecia®) is a prescription medication that works by inhibiting 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT.
This reduces DHT levels throughout your body and minimizes damage to your hair follicles. Some men even see hair regrowth on finasteride.
Finasteride is a once-daily pill. We offer finasteride online, following a consultation with a healthcare provider who’ll determine if a prescription is appropriate.
Minoxidil (the active ingredient in Rogaine®) is a topical, over-the-counter medication. It’s believed to stimulate hair growth by moving hairs into the anagen (active growth) phase of the hair growth cycle.
It’s also a vasodilator that improves blood circulation to the scalp, which may promote more consistent hair growth. The topical solution is applied directly to balding areas twice a day.
We offer minoxidil solution and minoxidil foam online, along with a selection of other hair loss products in our Hair Power Pack.
Oral minoxidil isn’t FDA-approved for hair loss (at least, not yet). Still, it’s sometimes prescribed off-label, particularly for those who have trouble with the upkeep of a topical medication or who experience localized side effects (rare, but possible).
A minoxidil chewable may be available to you following a consultation with one of our healthcare professionals.
The more, the merrier when it comes to minoxidil and finasteride — these medications are particularly effective when used together.
In one study published in the journal Dermatologic Therapy, more than 94 percent of balding men reported improvements after using both finasteride and minoxidil for one year.
Our topical finasteride & minoxidil spray makes it easy to pair the two ingredients in one easy-to-use product.
Numerous supplements and non-pharmaceutical products are available to help slow down and treat hair loss.
While these supplements aren’t as effective as FDA-approved medications like finasteride and minoxidil, they can be a helpful part of your baldness prevention routine.
Popular supplements and products for hair loss include:
Saw palmetto. Though it’s not as effective as finasteride, studies show that saw palmetto reduces DHT levels by a modest amount, which may slow down male pattern baldness in men with genetic alopecia. Our thickening shampoo contains this natural DHT inhibitor.
Biotin. Biotin (vitamin B7) doesn’t directly prevent hair loss, but some studies have linked it to improvements in hair growth, specifically in people with a true deficiency of the vitamin. However, most research on biotin as a supplement for stopping hair loss has focused on hair loss in women. Biotin is one of several ingredients in our biotin gummies, which are formulated to support healthy hair, nails, and skin.
Hair thickening shampoo. Shampoos containing ketoconazole or saw palmetto may help prevent hair loss at the scalp level. Our Thick Fix Thickening Shampoo is formulated to deliver thicker, fuller-looking hair and better scalp health.
Beyond medication and supplements, other treatments can help improve the health of your scalp hair follicles, promote hair growth, or make hair loss less visible.
Common cosmetic procedures, products, and alternative solutions for hair loss include:
Hair transplantation surgery
Scalp micropigmentation
Microneedling
Low-level light therapy
Hairpieces
Here’s what to know.
Hair transplant surgery involves the removal of hair follicles from the back and sides of the head. These follicles are then used to create extra hair density in the hairline, crown, or other areas of the scalp with noticeable hair loss.
Performed by a skilled surgeon, a hair transplant can improve your hairline and almost completely eliminate signs of hair loss. Like other cosmetic surgeries, this procedure can be highly effective, but it’s a costly medical treatment and rarely covered by insurance.
Scalp micropigmentation is a cosmetic procedure that can change the pigment of your scalp, creating the appearance of small, short hairs and a fuller head of hair. It’s similar to a tattoo that hides — rather than treats — hair loss.
Although scalp micropigmentation can make it look like you have a thicker head of hair, it’s not an actual treatment for male pattern baldness and doesn’t restore any real hair follicles.
Microneedling involves using a device with very thin needles (called a derma-roller) to make “micro-injuries” on the scalp.
It’s thought that blood and oxygen rush to the scalp to heal the wounds, which can benefit hair health.
Most of the studies on this technique are on minoxidil and microneedling used together, like this one, which showed that people who used both had increased hair growth.
Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT) for hair is a non-invasive treatment that uses specific wavelengths of light to stimulate hair follicles and promote hair growth.
It can be done in an office setting or with an at-home device like a lighted cap. Some research suggests that LLLT encourages hair follicles to re-enter the anagen phase and stay there.
They won’t help you grow back any real hair, but hairpieces, wigs, and weaves can produce surprisingly good results if you need to fill in thin areas and cover up your hair loss for an important event.
There’s also scalp concealer, which can help minimize the look of bald spots, particularly for people with close-cropped hair.
Our guide to the pros and cons of toupees goes into more detail about the advantages and disadvantages of “treating” hair loss with a hairpiece.
Male pattern baldness is like height or eye color — it’s coded into your genetics and hard to prevent. However, there are some things you can do to keep your hair healthy, promote hair growth, or help prevent further hair loss:
Eat a varied diet. Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, zinc, and iron are vital to hair health. Eating a varied diet with lots of fruits and veggies can ensure you’re getting enough of these nutrients.
Get adequate protein. Hair is primarily made up of a protein called keratin, so it’s crucial to eat enough protein to maintain hair health.
Manage stress. Stress is a known factor in another type of hair loss called telogen effluvium. But since stress can also alter hormone levels, it can play a role in male pattern baldness as well.
See a healthcare provider at the first signs of hair loss. One of the best ways to prevent male pattern baldness from getting worse is to connect with a healthcare provider at the earliest signs of balding. Starting treatment ASAP is key to managing male pattern hair loss.
We offer several hair loss medications online to shield your hair from damage and promote more consistent hair growth. By taking action early, you can prevent male baldness from worsening and enjoy a fuller head of hair throughout your life.
Interested in getting started? Do a quick virtual hair loss consultation, or learn more about your options with our guide to the best treatments for thinning hair.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.