Natural progression of male pattern baldness in young men
May 1991
in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology”
TLDR Young men with male pattern baldness lose hair density over time without treatment.
The 1991 study evaluated 26 young men aged 20-30 with male pattern baldness over 24 months, finding that without treatment, hair density and meaningful hair density significantly decreased—by 11.9% and 22.7% respectively after 24 months. The control group of 13 age-matched individuals showed no significant changes. The research highlighted that a decrease in hair density greater than 15% was necessary for subjective awareness of hair loss. It also suggested that elongating short non-vellus hairs could improve appearance without new hair growth. The study concluded that treatments maintaining existing hair should be considered effective and recommended that studies on hair growth promoters last at least 12 months. The study was supported by the Trichological Clinic, London.
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