Male Pattern Baldness on Norwood Scale: How to Define

The Norwood classification to define the state of hair loss was introduced by Dr. O’tar Norwood and paper publication came in 1975.  This is the most widely used hair loss classification that described the two major pattern of hair loss along with several common patterns of male hair loss. It is the most accepted classification to rate the grade of baldness and is categorized into 7 categories that range from grade-I to VII respectively.

The hair transplant procedure is the only permanent remedy to cure baldness. In India, it is available with a number of good options. The hair transplant in Kolkata is prevalent, but people of that state also taking interest to visit Jaipur or Delhi to get the cosmetic treatment with a higher satisfaction rate.

Following is the classification of male pattern hair loss according to Norwood Scale:

• NW Class 1: It is not an actual balding state rather the resting state of the adolescent hairline, which generally started from upper brow crease.
• NW Class 2: It is the starting stage of male pattern hair loss that indicates a progression to the adult or mature hairline above the upper brow crease. It also does not represent a precise stage of baldness.
• NW Class 3: This is the earliest stage of the male pattern baldness, which is characterized by the expanding of temporal area recession.
• NW Class 3 Vertex: It represents the initial stage of hair loss with the affected crown or vertex area of the scalp.
• NW Class 4: A severe front temporal recession that has a minimum to no hair on the vertex area of the scalp results in an expanded vertex area without having hairs. There is still a band appearance of hair across the top or mid-scalp separating frontal and vertex portion.
• NW Class 5: The hair loss experienced in the front temporal and vertex area with a severe hair loss that makes difficult to separate from each other. The bald area is an ongoing state of recession and with an extreme grade of baldness can be seen.
• NW Class 6: The bald area continues to enlarge and break the connecting bridge of hair results in a single and large bald area experienced on the top and front area of the scalp.
• NW Class 7: Patient experiences an extreme higher grade of baldness that affects all over the scalp except the wreath of hair remaining in the back and sides of the scalp, known as the safe donor area.

So, it is important to define and determine the state of hair loss on the Norwood grade in order to opt the best possible extraction technique to get over the problem of baldness.