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First Stages of Balding

The onset of hair loss can be difficult. A variety of factors can contribute to a person's susceptibility to hair loss, including age, general health, family history and hygiene habits. If hair loss is a sensitive issue for you, it's important to identify what the first signs of hair loss are and what type of hair loss you are experiencing.

  1. For Men

    • Signs of hair loss for most men begin in their early 20s. There are several different possible forms of male baldness, but commonly a man will notice the hair around his temples receding. At the same time or possibly later, there may be thinning of the hair around the crown. This pattern begins to form what is commonly known as a "widow's peak," where the front of the hairline extends far ahead of the receded temples. Another way to gauge hair loss is by pulling back the front of the hairline and noting how wide the gaps are between hairs.

    For Women

    • Women's hair loss is quite different than men, and it generally involves thinning on the top of the scalp, primarily around the crown. Because women do not experience the same receding hairline as men, the amount of hair being collected on a brush, for example, is a better indicator of early hair loss. Women rarely experience complete baldness, but it is possible for thinning to occur at the front, top or sides of their head. Menopause is often a time where women will notice some early signs of hair loss, because the change in hormones affects both the hair on their head and face.

    Common Symptoms

    • There are other ways of deducing whether you are experiencing early signs of hair loss. A pronounced forehead may subtly indicate that your hairline is starting to recede, or you might notice more of your skin's pigmentation when viewing your scalp in a mirror. Keeping an eye on areas where hair might possibly collect -- bathtub, pillow, brushes, hats -- can also help in detecting hair loss.

    Other Signs

    • The medical community has pointed to certain health factors that instigate hair loss. One theory has been that high blood pressure can be a cause of hair loss. There have also been suggested links between hair loss and factors such as smoking, stress and even certain diseases such as prostate cancer, but these connections are not yet proven. One study by the Archive of Internal Medicine claims a linkage between hair loss and heart disease. The 2000 study concludes that some forms of baldness appear "to be a marker for increased risk of coronary heart disease events, especially among men with hypertension or high cholesterol levels."

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