Male pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss. It usually affects men after they reach the age of 30. This condition is also known as androgenetic alopecia or inherited male pattern baldness.

There is a wide range of treatments available for male pattern hair loss. These commonly include medicines to control hair loss and other cosmetic treatments. However, many men choose to let the condition run its course. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Here is how male pattern baldness can be detected and diagnosed:

1. Detection
Most times, the changes you see in your hair due to male pattern hair loss are a result of sensitive scalp hair follicles. This sensitivity is specifically related to hormones like testosterone. Moreover, this condition is hereditary.

In a normal hair cycle, 90% of the hair on your head are still in their growth phase. The remaining 10% are in the resting phase. When it comes to hair in the resting phase, a normal scalp would experience a loss of approximately 100 hairs in a single day. These are then replaced by new hair. There are many studies that are trying to understand why men develop this sensitivity to male hormones.

The major change that happens to these hair follicles is known as miniaturization. You can detect male pattern baldness by looking out for these signs:

• Lesser hair growing from each follicle

• Every hair gets finer

• The growth phase of your hair gets shorter, reducing the life cycle of each hair

• Hair sheds faster in the resting stage

• Higher lag time between the start of a growth phase after the end of the resting phase

The major signs of this condition are that your hair becomes progressively finer and shorter. Moreover, in certain cases, they can stop growing entirely. This gradually results in complete baldness.

2. Tests and diagnosis
If you are stressed or worried about hair loss, the first step is to visit your doctor. In fact, you should visit the doctor at the earliest if:

• You experience a different form of hair loss compared to other men of your family
• You are suffering or have suffered from a major illness, physical injury, or emotional trauma recently
• You experience hair loss in other parts of your body, apart from the scalp.
• You notice changes in your skin where hair loss has occurred.
• You notice a skin infection or other major skin conditions

Your doctor is likely to ask questions about your hair loss and for how long it has been bothering you. He/she may also thoroughly examine your scalp by conducting a general physical test. However, tests are usually not required unless your doctor has suspicions of another underlying cause.