Adolescent hairline
Hairline sits low and even across the forehead. No noticeable recession at the temples and no thinning at the crown.
Educational tool
Check Your Hair-Loss Stage
Use illustrated reference descriptions to identify your likely stage of hair loss. Educational only — not a substitute for trichological assessment.
Norwood scale (men)
The Norwood scale describes the typical pattern of male androgenetic hair loss, from a stable adolescent hairline through to advanced loss across the top of the scalp.
Mature hairline
Subtle, symmetrical recession at the temples that often happens with age. Density behind the hairline remains intact.
Early temple recession
Clearly receded temples forming an M-shape. Mid-scalp and crown still look normal. Often the first stage that prompts a clinical visit.
Crown thinning begins
Temple recession plus visible thinning at the vertex (crown). Two separate areas of loss, with intact hair between them.
Connected thinning
Temple recession deepens and crown thinning enlarges. A band of denser hair still separates the two zones.
Bridge narrows
The bridge between front and crown thins and narrows. Hair behind looks visibly less dense than the back and sides.
Advanced loss
The bridge disappears. Hair remains in a horseshoe pattern around the back and sides. The fringe at the back may also thin in late stages.
Ludwig scale (women)
The Ludwig scale describes the diffuse central thinning pattern most often seen in female pattern hair loss. The frontal hairline is usually preserved across all three stages.
Mild central thinning
Visibly wider parting at the centre of the scalp. Frontal hairline preserved. Easier to spot under direct lighting or when the hair is wet.
Moderate diffuse thinning
The widened parting is obvious. Volume at the crown is reduced and the scalp shows through under styling. Most women seek help at this stage.
Advanced diffuse thinning
Pronounced see-through area across the top of the scalp with significantly reduced density, while the frontal hairline still remains.
These stages describe pattern hair loss only. Sudden or patchy shedding, a tender or itchy scalp, breakage along the shaft, or hair loss following pregnancy, illness or a major stressor often points to a different cause and warrants a trichological assessment.