Am I going bald? Ways to find out if you're going bald

It's a conversation no one likes to have: am I starting to go bald? And if I go bald, do I still look good? And how will people see me without her? These are questions that everyone who goes bald thinks about a lot. And if you don't think about it yourself, there are always lovely friends or colleagues who remind you.

The hard truth is that most men will experience male baldness at some point in their lives, some before the other. This is entirely genetic and unfortunately you have little to say about it. The rule of thumb is that 20% of men will experience male hereditary baldness by age 20, 30% by age 30, and so on up to 70% by age 70. So at least you don't have to feel alone, but of course that doesn't make it any less annoying.

Many men worry about going bald but take no action while something can be done about it. A shame, really, because with medication, there is often still a lot to save!

Here are a few simple ways to find out if you have male pattern baldness:

• More hair loss than the normal 50 to 100 per day
• Slower hair growth; you don't have to go to the hairdresser as often
• A receding hairline or inlets
• Thinning hair
• Sudden bald spots
• Comments from others
• Visible differences in photos
  

We've outlined these warning signs in more detail below, along with what finasteride can do to prevent your hair loss.

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How can you tell if you are going bald?

Unlike the flu, for example, you don't suddenly wake up with male pattern baldness. It is a gradual process, which we explain in more detail in our blog about why men go bald.

So, how do you find out if you're going bald? You can often catch signs that you are going bald at an early stage, and perhaps the most obvious is:

1. Your hair falls out

This may sound like a very bad buy, but excessive hair loss is a clear and common sign of male pattern baldness. It is very normal to lose about 50 to 100 hairs per day. Because this is already quite a lot, it is easy to overlook if this is (much) more. So if you suddenly find 100 hairs on your pillowcase or in the shower drain, this does not necessarily mean that you are going bald. However, when you start to notice that more and more hair is coming into your brush, and there is a lot of hair in your hand as you go through your hair, this is often a signal to start looking at possible treatments for hair loss.

2. You get coves

Coves are perhaps the most classic and common sign of male pattern baldness. Unfortunately, it is also a sign that many men ignore until it is already far away. This is because some men just don't catch on, or simply because it's not fun to acknowledge at all. Besides not being fun to acknowledge, it makes cycling, walking in the wind (which unfortunately happens quite often in our country) and swimming a lot more stressful.

3. You have a balding crown

Hair loss can make your scalp visible in more than one way. Not only do you have to suffer from coves; you can also suffer from thinning hair on top, or a balding crown. Like coves, thinning hair on the back of your head is also common. This type of hair loss can be diffuse (all over your head), but it's usually most noticeable at the top of your head. Seeing the top of your head in a photo, in a changing room, or when you walk into the gas station suddenly becomes a lot less pleasant.

4. Sudden bald spots

As described above, coves and a balding crown are often the (starting) signs of male hereditary baldness. But what if you suddenly develop bald patches on your head?

In addition to male hereditary baldness, other forms of hair loss can cause you to suffer from thinner hair or random bald patches on your head. Possible causes of bald spots include:

• Alopecia areata — a form of autoimmune hair loss that can cause your hair to fall out in round bald areas.
• Telogen effluvium — temporary hair loss that can occur after traumatic events or periods of severe stress.
• A friend who put a clipper on your hair for a bet.

It is important to know that finasteride is not the right treatment for these forms of baldness. If you suffer from these forms of baldness, not male hereditary baldness, and you want to have it treated, please contact your (family) doctor.

Other signs that you are going bald

Your hair takes longer to grow

Just like you're getting older, your hair follicles are getting older too. Where they used to be sprinters who had to go to the hairdresser every other month, now every 2 months is completely fine. Very nice, of course, saving on the hairdresser, but less nice if it means going bald.

Normally, the hair on your head grows about six inches a year. Roughly speaking, this is just over an inch per month. At the moment, there are no scientific studies that show that male pattern baldness affects the rate at which your hair grows. However, since male pattern baldness can affect your hair count (the total number of hairs on your head or the density of hairs in a specific area), you may notice that it takes a little longer for your hair to grow back to its usual look after a haircut. You, or, of course, your hairdresser, may also notice that your hair never seems to be as thick as it used to be. That's why it's not surprising to ask your hairdresser if you're going bald. After all, he knows your hair better than anyone else.

People say you're going bald

In the end, there is only so much you can see from your own head. It is also difficult to see differences in your hair for yourself, because after all, you usually look at your hair at least once a day (or 500 times if you are afraid of going bald). Although it's not nice at all that people make comments about you going bald, it's usually a sign that you're indeed going bald.

Your partner, colleague, parent, or child can sometimes see areas on your head that you just don't see often, such as the back of your head. If they see your head regularly, chances are they'll notice a change. The same goes for your hairdresser, of course.

Maybe it's obvious, but if your friends, family, or small children joke about your bald spot without a filter, you might already want to take action and look at the various treatments to combat hair loss.

Visible differences in your hair in photos

Most men don't edit their photos to fill in or fill in their hairline, and neither should you (a cliché, but of course, we should already be happy to get older and lose hair because of it). But still, if you look at a photo from a few years ago and notice that your hair was much fuller there, that's obviously not fun. In addition, it is a clear sign that you suffer from male baldness.

How long does it take to go bald?

There is no answer to the question of how long it takes to go bald. This is because this depends entirely on your sensitivity to the effects of DHT. A person with a lot of DHT but genetically insensitive hair follicles may not notice hair loss until they are 80, while a person with high levels of DHT and highly sensitive hair follicles may be bald within a few years.

Regardless of whether you go bald quickly or slowly, it is important that, if you notice hair loss, you intervene as soon as possible, unless, of course, you have no problem with going bald. The easiest way still remains to accept your hair loss and live your life to the fullest. For people who still attach great importance to their hair, finasteride is a good treatment to stop hair loss.

Finasteride against hair loss

Finasteride is the most effective drug for delaying, stopping, or even reversing male pattern baldness. To learn more about finasteride, its effects and side effects, read our blog about Finasteride against hair loss.

Experiencing hair loss can be extremely annoying, but luckily, it's not something you have to learn to live with. If you're one of the hundreds of thousands of men in the Netherlands who has to deal with hair loss, timely action can help you maintain a fuller, thicker head of hair.

Are you ready to fight against hair loss? Start with your free online consultation below and find out if Finasteride is a safe option for you. For more information, also check out our other blogs for in-depth insights and advice.

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