Early signs of hair loss in men: how to tell if you are going bald

Male pattern hair loss follows a fairly predictable path, so a few specific changes are worth watching for.

• A hairline creeping back at the temples, leaving a more pronounced M shape.
• A crown (the spot at the back) that looks thinner or more see-through under bright light.
• A part that looks wider than it used to in photos.
• More hair than usual on the pillow, in the shower drain, or on your hands after styling.
• Individual hairs that feel finer or shorter as follicles gradually shrink.

Shedding some hair every day is normal, and commonly cited figures put it at roughly 50 to 100 hairs a day. A hairline that settles slightly higher in your late teens or twenties, called a mature hairline, is also normal and not the same as balding.

The signal to pay attention to is change over time: a steady drop in density, a hairline that keeps moving, or a crown that keeps thinning across months rather than a bad shower day. Pattern and progression matter more than any single day.

You can track this at home before deciding whether to get assessed.

• Compare photos: line up a recent top-of-head and hairline photo against ones from a year or two ago.
• The part test: part your hair the same way in the same light and watch whether the gap widens over a few months.
• The crown check: use your phone camera or two mirrors to see the crown you cannot normally view.
• Track shedding: note whether heavier shedding lasts weeks rather than days.

Because male pattern hair loss is progressive, acting earlier generally leaves more to work with. If the signs above are adding up, the sensible next step is a proper assessment rather than guessing, since other causes of hair loss exist and behave differently.

You can start with your GP, or with an online telehealth service where a registered Australian practitioner reviews your case and decides whether treatment is appropriate. Our 30-second match points you to the route that fits, and Mosh is one Australian men's service that runs this kind of assessment online.