Catching Your Hair Loss Early

The best thing you can do for hair loss if you are a male is to catch it early. Even 
medical conditions like alopecia and male pattern baldness are treatable, though there 
is no cure. The earlier you catch it, the better your chances for controlling it and at least 
slowing it down.

Signs You Are Experiencing Hair Loss

First of all, it can happen so gradually that you don’t notice your hair loss at first. Like 
women, you might start with thick hair, so it isn’t extremely noticeable when your hair 
shedding happens more rapidly. If you have shorter hair, it won’t be as noticeable in the 
shower or hair brush, as when you just see more scalp than you did before. Here are 
some common signs that you are experiencing hair loss:

You Have a Receding Hairline – This might be the first thing you notice since it is the 
area of your hair you see when you look in the mirror. When you have a receding 
hairline, you are losing more hair from the front of your head and at your temples. If you 
aren’t sure it is receding, compare your picture now to a few years ago and you might 
notice more forehead now than before.

Your Part is Widening – If you tend to part your hair in one area, that is another place 
to look. Do you notice that the part, the area of your scalp you typically see, seems 
wider than before, that can be another sign of hair loss. If you don’t have a specific 
patch of thinning hair, it might be from things like stress or nutrition.
There is Thinning in the Crown – Men often get a bald spot on the crown of the head, 
which starts as just more thinning in this area. Again, you may not notice it at first, but 
can see it more in pictures or based on how you style your hair.

Your Hair is Curling Around the Ears or Neck – Another sign that is often missed is 
when you suddenly have more hair curling around your ears or neck. This sudden 
change in hair shape and texture might be a sign of a condition that will eventually 
cause hair loss.
Signs to Not Worry About
While there are some signs of hair loss, other signs are more of myths and not 
necessarily associated with hair loss. If you notice these things and immediately think it 
is from you losing your hair, it can actually cause more stress and lead to actual hair 
loss. Try not to look too much into these things:
You Have a Dry, Itchy Scalp – While having scalp irritation can cause more itching and 
lead to hair breakage or a slightly increase in short-term hair loss, it does not cause 
long-term hair loss on its own. The only exception is if it is related to a condition like 
alopecia.
You Have a Widow’s Peak – A widow’s peak is not the same thing as hair thinning 
around the temples of your hairline. Having a widow’s peak is typically genetic and 
something you were born with, and not the result of losing your hair.
Hairs Falling Out Have White Bulbs – This can be concerning to some, because they 
see strands of hair with a white bulb in the end. This does not mean you have a 
condition causing hair loss – it might be regular shedding in the telogen phase, which is 
why the bulbs are there.
You Lose Hair in the Shower – Your hair will probably shed more often while in the 
shower, due to your hair being wet and manipulated while washing it.

