Perception of Baldness and Hair Density

The study investigated the use of the parietal/occipital hair density ratio as a measure of androgenetic alopecia in 109 men. It found that while the occipital area maintained a consistent average hair density of 127/cm², the parietal area showed a significant decrease in density from 138 to 47/cm² as baldness progressed. However, the parietal/occipital ratio only decreased significantly when baldness was clinically evident, suggesting it was not a better measure of baldness severity than the Hamilton/Norwood scale. The study concluded that early baldness perception was influenced not just by reduced hair density but also by the thinning of hair shafts.