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Hair problem
Male pattern baldness, or male androgenetic alopecia, is the most common cause of hair loss in men. It usually starts at the temples or the crown and progresses gradually. Here we explain how to recognise it, what influences it and what the clinic can offer.
Reviewed by Dr Michelle Campagnoli, clinical director
How to recognise it
Male pattern baldness follows a well-known pattern: the front hairline recedes at the temples and the hair gradually thins at the crown. These signs can help you tell whether this is your case.
Tick what you recognise
Tick the signs you recognise in your case. This is not a diagnosis, it is only meant to give you an idea.
You recognise some of these signs. It may be male pattern baldness or it may have another cause. Only a medical assessment can say for sure.
Several signs match male pattern baldness. The earlier it is assessed, the more options you have to slow its progression. Only a medical assessment can confirm it.
Book an assessment consultationSudden and heavy hair loss, round bald patches, a painful scalp, sores or a lot of flaking should be seen without delay, because they usually have another cause.
Temples. This is often where it starts: the front hairline recedes at the corners and forms a deeper M shape.
Crown. The hair gradually thins in a circle at the top of the head, and the scalp becomes visible.
Sides and back. They usually keep their hair, and this helps distinguish this pattern from other causes.
Why it happens
It is almost never just one thing. Choose a cause to see what makes it worse and what helps.
In many men, the follicles at the temples and crown inherit a greater sensitivity to certain hormones. This is why baldness tends to run in families, although it is not guaranteed.
Waiting for it to pass on its own while the follicles keep shrinking.
Getting assessed early, because it is easier to slow progression than to recover what has been lost.
A derivative of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, gradually shortens the life cycle of the follicle in sensitive areas. The hair grows back finer and shorter each time. It is not a matter of having too many hormones, but of follicles that are more sensitive.
Assuming the problem can be solved with shampoos or lotions alone, without an assessment.
Understanding with the doctor what is happening and which plan is most suitable.
Iron, vitamin D or zinc deficiency, and thyroid changes, can add to male pattern baldness and speed up hair loss. Only a blood test can confirm this.
Taking supplements on your own, without knowing what is missing.
Blood tests, when the doctor finds them useful, to see whether there is anything else to treat.
Periods of stress, poor sleep, smoking or very restrictive diets can make more hair fall out and make baldness more noticeable, even if the underlying cause is hereditary.
Short sleep, smoking and low-protein diets.
A balanced diet, regular sleep and breaks.
Hair loss can also come from a period of stress, a recent illness or scalp problems. That is why it is worth getting assessed, rather than assuming it is just baldness.
Assuming a diagnosis without an assessment and putting off the consultation.
A consultation to look at the whole picture and confirm the cause.
Baldness or another cause
Not all hair loss in men is male pattern baldness. These signs help distinguish the typical pattern from other causes, which are treated differently.
What it looks like. The temples recede and the crown gradually thins, while the sides and back are preserved.
How it progresses. Slowly, over years, and it usually continues if nothing is done.
What the clinic does. The doctor confirms the pattern, looks for associated causes and proposes a plan to slow progression.
Follow-up. This is a condition that is followed over time, with reviews and adjustments.
What it looks like. Sudden, heavy hair loss across the whole scalp, or well-defined round patches, including in the beard.
Warning. Pain, sores, marked flaking or intense itching call for assessment.
What the clinic does. The doctor looks for other causes, such as deficiencies, the thyroid, shedding after illness or other forms of alopecia.
Tell us at the consultation. When you first noticed it, whether there are cases in the family and what has changed: it helps in choosing.
Are your temples or crown changing? Book an assessment consultation, so the doctor can work out whether it is male pattern baldness and what can be done.
Book an assessment consultationWhat the clinic can do
Male pattern baldness is usually a long-term condition, so the plan is designed for you and followed up over time. These are the treatments the doctor may propose after seeing your case.
Regeneration
Vitamins, amino acids, minerals and hyaluronic acid, to nourish the scalp and support finer hair.
Suitable when
the hair is thinner at the temples or crown and the doctor considers scalp nourishment appropriate.
Find out more→
Regeneration
Platelet-rich plasma, obtained from your own blood, to stimulate the follicle. The doctor first assesses whether it is appropriate.
Suitable when
there is thinning at the temples or crown, with follicles that are still active, and the doctor considers stimulation appropriate.
Find out more→
Advanced regeneration
Regenerative solution to support follicle repair and improve hair thickness.
Suitable when
the doctor considers it useful to reinforce the plan with a regenerating active ingredient.
Find out more→What about oral therapy and other medical options? When baldness needs more than local care, the doctor explains the options and chooses them after the assessment and, if useful, blood tests. Results are gradual and vary from person to person.
What the journey looks like
No treatment starts without an assessment consultation with the doctor. This is how it works.
The doctor asks when you first noticed the change, whether there are cases in the family and what medication you take, and examines the temples, crown and hair density.
If useful, the doctor requests blood tests, for example for iron, vitamins and thyroid, and explains what to expect and how long it may take.
She combines the treatments that make sense with care at home and treats the associated causes, always adapted to your case.
We look at the hair again after a few months and adjust the plan, because baldness needs follow-up.
Day to day
Looking after your scalp and your body as a whole matters, alongside the doctor's plan. These are the habits that count most.
The golden rule
Male pattern baldness progresses slowly and so do the results. The earlier you start and the more regular you are, the more follicles there are to support. The aim is to slow it down and improve, not to promise what your hair was like at 20.
It helps you see the progression objectively.
In practice: take a photo of your temples and crown, in the same light, every three months.
Hair is made of protein.
In practice: include eggs, fish, legumes or yoghurt throughout the day.
Where the hair is thinner, the sun burns.
In practice: wear a hat or a scalp-appropriate sunscreen in the sun.
Results depend on persistence.
In practice: follow the agreed plan and attend the reviews.
Promises of a quick cure rarely come true and delay assessment.
In practice: be wary of solutions that guarantee results and talk to the doctor first.
Taking several supplements on your own may not solve anything and can do harm.
In practice: talk to the doctor before taking supplements.
Very atrophied follicles respond less well.
In practice: do not let years go by before booking a consultation.
They harm circulation and the body's recovery.
In practice: sleep enough and, if you can, cut down or quit smoking.
Who will look after you
At Luxmed, the first step is always an assessment consultation with Dra. Michelle Campagnoli. She works out whether it is male pattern baldness, requests blood tests if useful and designs the plan with you.
Hair medicine
The first signs and when to ask for an assessment.
Read the article →
Hair medicine
What may be behind thinner hair on the top of the head.
Read the article →
Hair medicine
The weight of family history and why it is not a certainty.
Read the article →Other hair problems
Book a consultation
Choose how you prefer to get in touch. We will arrange the assessment consultation with Dr Michelle Campagnoli.
New Life Miraflores, Algés · Office Center, R. Santa Teresa do Menino Jesus n.º 6, 9.º C, 1495-048
Your details are used only for this contact. Any treatment depends on a prior medical assessment.
Male pattern baldness can start in youth, sometimes from the age of 20. It is usually due to family history and the sensitivity of the follicles to hormones. It is worth getting assessed to rule out other causes.
It can come from either side of the family. Having a maternal grandfather or a father with baldness increases the likelihood, but does not guarantee it. The assessment helps you understand your case.
It is a hormone derived from testosterone. In the sensitive follicles at the temples and crown, it makes the hair grow back finer and shorter each time. It does not mean you have too many hormones.
It usually begins with deeper temples and/or thinning at the crown, and may widen over the years. The doctor observes what stage you are at and what can still be supported.
Where the follicle is still active, it may be possible to thicken the hair and improve density. Where there is no follicle left, it is not. After examining you, the doctor explains what is realistic in your case.
Depending on the case: NCTF hair treatment, hair PRP, hair exosomes, oral therapy and other medical options chosen by the doctor. None is decided before the assessment consultation.
Results are gradual and usually become noticeable after a few months of regular treatment. They vary from person to person, and the doctor explains what to expect.
Baldness is a long-term condition, which is why regular follow-up is important. The doctor explains, case by case, how to maintain the results.
At any age, as soon as you notice your temples receding or your crown thinning. The earlier, the more active follicles there are to support. Sudden hair loss, round patches or a painful scalp should be seen without delay.
Not always, but they are often useful. The doctor may request, for example, iron, vitamins and thyroid, to see whether another cause is adding to the baldness.
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The assistant does not give diagnoses or replace a consultation. The plan and cost of any treatment are set at the medical assessment.