Norwood 1 — No significant loss
The hairline sits where it did in adolescence, with no meaningful recession at the temples and no thinning at the crown.
How you’d notice it: Your hairline looks essentially unchanged.
Hair loss tool
Find your hair loss stage
Two questions and you’ll have your Norwood stage — or your Ludwig grade, if you have female pattern hair loss.
The Norwood scale: all 7 stages
The Norwood scale — also called the Hamilton-Norwood scale — describes male pattern hair loss by how far the hairline has receded and how much has been lost at the crown.
Norwood 2 — Mature hairline
Slight, symmetrical recession at the temples. This is widely considered a mature hairline rather than balding, and many men stay here permanently.
How you’d notice it: The corners above your temples have moved back a little, but the hairline is still a continuous line.
Norwood 3 — First clinically significant balding
Deep, symmetrical recession at the temples producing the classic M, U or V shape. This is the earliest stage generally accepted as balding rather than maturing.
How you’d notice it: Clear bare triangles above each temple.
Norwood 3 Vertex — Crown thinning begins
Hairline recession similar to stage 2 or 3, but with hair loss now concentrated at the crown.
How you’d notice it: A thinning or bare patch at the back of your head, often noticed first in photos or by a barber.
Norwood 4 — Frontal and crown loss
Deeper frontal recession with a distinctly larger bald area at the crown. A solid band of hair still separates the two.
How you’d notice it: Two separate areas of loss, front and crown, with hair between them.
Norwood 5 — Band narrowing
Both areas are larger and the band of hair dividing them has become narrow and sparse.
How you’d notice it: The strip of hair between your hairline and crown is visibly thinning.
Norwood 6 — Areas merged
The dividing band has gone. The frontal and crown areas form one continuous region of loss.
How you’d notice it: The top of your head is bald from hairline to crown.
Norwood 7 — Most advanced
Only a narrow horseshoe of hair remains around the sides and back of the head.
How you’d notice it: A band of hair around the sides and back only.
The Ludwig scale: female pattern hair loss
The Norwood scale is not used for women. Female pattern hair loss usually keeps the frontal hairline and thins diffusely across the top instead, so it is graded on the Ludwig scale — three grades rather than seven.
Ludwig I — Mild
Thinning across the top of the scalp with the frontal hairline preserved. The central part looks slightly wider than it used to.
How you’d notice it: Your parting looks a little wider, and your ponytail may feel thinner, but the scalp isn't obvious.
Ludwig II — Moderate
Noticeably wider part with visible scalp through the hair on top. The hairline usually remains intact.
How you’d notice it: Scalp is visible along your part in normal light.
Ludwig III — Extensive
Diffuse thinning over the top of the scalp with the scalp clearly visible. The frontal hairline is typically still present.
How you’d notice it: The scalp shows through across the top, not just along the part.
What the scale can’t tell you
Worth knowing before you put much weight on a stage number.
- It is subjective. Studies show clinicians often assign different stages to the same person, so treat any staging — including this one — as a guide rather than a measurement.
- It describes pattern, not density. Two people at the same stage can have very different amounts of hair remaining.
- It is a snapshot. The scale says nothing about how fast loss is progressing, which matters more for treatment decisions than the stage itself.
- It does not identify a cause. Pattern hair loss looks different from loss driven by thyroid disease, iron deficiency, medication or stress — and those need different treatment.
- It was developed largely from Caucasian men and may fit other hair types and populations less well.
Common questions
- What is the Norwood scale?
- The Norwood scale (also called the Hamilton-Norwood scale) classifies male pattern hair loss into seven stages, based on how far the hairline has receded at the temples and how much hair has been lost at the crown. It is the standard way clinicians describe the pattern.
- Is the Norwood scale used for women?
- No. The Norwood scale describes male pattern hair loss, where the hairline recedes and the crown thins. Female pattern hair loss usually preserves the frontal hairline and thins diffusely across the top, so it is staged on the Ludwig scale instead, which has three grades. This tool uses the Ludwig scale for women.
- Is Norwood 2 balding?
- Usually not. Norwood 2 describes slight, symmetrical recession at the temples, which is widely regarded as a mature hairline rather than balding. Many men reach stage 2 in their twenties and stay there. Stage 3 is the first stage generally accepted as balding.
- What is Norwood 3?
- Norwood 3 is the earliest stage considered clinically significant balding. The temples have receded deeply and symmetrically, producing an M, U or V shaped hairline. It is the stage at which treatment is most commonly started, because holding on to existing hair is easier than regrowing hair that has gone.
- Can the Norwood scale tell me why I'm losing hair?
- No. It describes the pattern, not the cause. Pattern hair loss, thyroid problems, iron deficiency, medication side effects and stress-related shedding can all reduce hair, and they need different treatment. Only an examination — sometimes with blood tests — can establish the cause.
- Does the stage determine which treatment I need?
- It narrows the options but does not decide them. Donor hair density, how quickly loss is progressing, your age and the underlying cause all matter, and none of those are captured by a stage number. That is why staging is a starting point for a consultation rather than a substitute for one.