What Are the First Signs of Hair Thinning?

Male pattern hair loss, which is the result of a genetic predisposition to hair miniaturisation because of increased levels of DHT on your scalp, generally leads to thinning hair over a period of time.

Most men look out for bald patches or a receding hairline on their heads. We’re here to help you identify a few of the initial signs you should be able to spot.

Let’s look at what those indications are and what you can do about them.

The first signs of hair thinning

Firstly, it’s important to establish that hair loss and hair thinning are basically the same thing. A decreased quality of hair over time and progressive thinning happens until the hair follicles die off completely.

The very first sign of hair loss is miniaturisation. This means that your hair follicle is shrinking, forcing your strands to grow thinner and not as strong as they once were. Thinning hair is when your strands are not as voluminous as they once were, lacking density and width.

Some people can spot these thinning hairs at their hairline. Their appearance could look almost fluffy or frizzy as they’re not as strong as your other hairs. A lot of the time this is noticed when your hair is still wet after showering or under strong lights, for example, as more of the scalp will be on show than before.

Keep an eye on your shower floor after washing your hair to see if strands are noticeably being lost and inspect your pillow each morning too. Thinning hair can be caused by many factors, with the main one being genetics. It can be hereditary, passed onto you from your parents and grandparents.

Other reasons for thinning hair can include aggressively brushing your hair, using an excessive amount of damaging hair products, a lack of nutrients that contribute to healthy hair, or if you’ve experienced a lot of stress.

What to do if you spot thinning hair

Thankfully, if you’ve spotted the first signs of thinning hair, there is something that can be done about it. Finasteride and Minoxidil are clinically-proven treatments approved by the HPRA, which can help not only fight the indications of hair loss but also have preventative measures to keep your hair strong and strengthen your strands before thinned-out hair becomes lost hair.

If you think you are experiencing hair loss, take our free consultation for personalised treatment recommendations.

All of our blog articles are reviewed for medical accuracy by our Medical Director before publication.

Posted in: All, Hair loss