Signs of Male Baldness

Hair grows at a rate of about an inch every few months. At any point in time, the majority of a person's hair is growing and a small part is not. According to the New York Times, that figure amounts to about 85 percent growth at any time. Baldness occurs when hair follicles shrink and eventually stop producing hair. While the exact cause is not known, the New York Times reports that scientists believe baldness in men carries links to the male sex hormone. You can spot signs and symptoms easily.

Thinning Hair

• Male pattern baldness occurs over a long period of time around the hairline as it recedes. The first sign of hair loss--called alopecia--entails hair that appears thinner or finer around a man's temple and forehead. This happens when hair follicles in these positions begin to narrow, which leaves less room for hair to grow. As a result, hair must grow in thinner as opposed to thicker. Rapid loss of hair such as in patches or clumps all at once or over a short period of time likely arises due to a problem other than normal baldness. A doctor can determine if that kind of hair loss is caused by a skin condition or new medication. Normal baldness doesn't include itching, irritation or redness so if these symptoms appear, contact your doctor to determine the source of the issue.

Shorter Hair

• As with thinning hair, a second sign of male pattern baldness, or normal male baldness, occurs when hair grows in shorter around the temple and forehead, and crown of the head. This happens when a narrowing, dying hair follicle, narrows even further, preventing hair trying to grow from reaching its normal length. Hair normally grows an inch every few months. However, as a hair follicle narrows, it grows much more slowly and will stop growing at a much shorter distance, perhaps a quarter of an inch from the surface or so.

Receding Hairline

• Male baldness begins at the hairline in most cases. A sign of balding is a hairline that begins to recede into an "M" shape. This shape is created as hair stops growing along the left and right temples such that when you look directly down upon a man's head from above, the hairline resembles the letter "M." This recession occurs over time as existing hair thins, becoming finer and shorter until it eventually stops growing. Over a long period of time, this hairline recession meets with balding that occurs on the crown of the head such that remaining hair forms a horseshoe shape where no hair grows on the crown, top or upper sides of the head.