Why Do Men Go Bald? A Closer Look
For most men it comes down to the genes they inherited, how their hair responds to hormones as they age and, to a lesser degree, how they live. Here is what each one means, what the common patterns look like and what you can do about it.
Losing your hair is one of the most common things that happens to men, and one of the least talked about. At National Hair Centers, we've been helping men understand their hair loss and find the right answer for it for more than 50 years. Knowing why it is happening is the first step, because the cause and the pattern shape every option that comes after.
It Usually Starts With Your Genes
If you're noticing your hair thinning, there is a good chance your family tree plays a big part. The most common cause of hair loss in men is male pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia, and it is inherited. The hair follicles on top of your head follow a genetic blueprint, and in men who carry the trait, those follicles gradually stop producing full, healthy hair.
The trait can come from either side of your family, so looking only at your mother's father, as the old saying goes, doesn't tell the whole story. Fathers, uncles and grandfathers on both sides who lost their hair are a reasonable hint about where yours may be heading, but they are a hint, not a guarantee.
What genetics mostly decides is where you lose hair and roughly when. That is why male pattern hair loss follows such recognizable shapes, and why it can begin anywhere from your early twenties to your sixties. For the clinical detail, read our overview of the types of male pattern hair loss.
It Runs in Families
Pattern hair loss is inherited, and the trait can be passed down from either parent, not only your mother's side.
It Happens Gradually
It rarely happens overnight. Most men notice a slow change over months and years rather than a sudden shed.
It Follows a Pattern
It shows up in predictable places: the hairline, the temples, the crown, or thinning spread across the top.
Real client photos. Individual results vary. Client names withheld for privacy.
What Male Pattern Hair Loss Actually Looks Like
Male pattern hair loss tends to show up in a few familiar ways. Many men have more than one at the same time, and the pattern you have matters, because it shapes which solutions make sense for you. These are real photos taken from above, the angle you almost never see in your own mirror.
Left to progress, a receding hairline and a thinning crown can eventually meet, leaving hair only around the sides and back in a horseshoe shape. You'll see that pattern in one of the before photos further down this page. Where you are today, and how quickly things are changing, are two of the first things we look at during a free consultation.
Real client photos. Individual results vary. Client names withheld for privacy.
Why It Often Shows Up With Age
Age and hair growth tend to move in opposite directions. As men get older, many grow less hair, and the hair that does grow can come in finer. That is why hair loss is so often associated with men in their forties, fifties and sixties. Some men, though, simply lose hair faster than others, and for them it can begin in their early twenties.
Hormones are the other half of the story. Male pattern hair loss is linked to androgens, the male hormones that include testosterone and a related hormone called DHT. In men whose follicles are genetically sensitive to these hormones, the follicles gradually shrink over time and produce shorter, finer hair. That is why genetics and hormones are usually talked about together: the hormones are part of every man's body, and his genes largely decide how his hair responds to them.
None of this is something you caused, and none of it means you have to accept a look you're unhappy with. It does mean the change is likely to continue, so it is worth understanding your options early. Some of them, such as laser hair therapy, work best while you still have some hair to keep.
A good question to ask yourself: has my hair changed noticeably in the last year or two? How fast things are changing is as useful to know as the pattern itself.
Real client photos. Individual results vary. Client names withheld for privacy.
Where Lifestyle Fits In
Lifestyle plays a smaller part than genetics, but it isn't irrelevant. Smoking, heavy drinking, poor sleep, crash dieting and long stretches of stress are hard on your body as a whole, and your hair is part of your body. Habits like these are rarely the root cause of male pattern baldness, but looking after your overall health is good for your hair and scalp as well as everything else.
It is also worth knowing that not all hair loss in men is pattern hair loss. Shedding after an illness, surgery, a major stress or a change in medication, loss that comes on suddenly, or round, patchy bald spots can all have other causes. If that sounds like you, talk to your doctor, or start with a trichology and scalp-health evaluation. Patchy loss can also be a sign of alopecia areata, a medical condition diagnosed by a dermatologist; we explain how we help with the appearance side on our page about living with alopecia hair loss.
Whatever the cause, the goal is the same: hair that looks healthy, natural and right for your age, and a solution that fits the way you actually live, including the gym, the pool and the Phoenix sun.
Real client photos. Individual results vary. Client names withheld for privacy.
Before & After
Real clients, photographed before and after a custom non-surgical hair system, from a man in his thirties to a man in his sixties. There is more of this in the full results gallery.
Before
After
Crown and top loss, seen from behind, to full coverage
Before
After
Receding temples and mid-scalp thinning to a full front hairline
Before
After
Advanced loss with a horseshoe fringe to a full head of hair
Before
After
A thinning top in his sixties to a full gray result
Real client photos. Individual results vary. Client names withheld for privacy.
What Men Ask Us Most
Why do men go bald?
For most men, the main reason is male pattern hair loss, an inherited trait in which the hair follicles on top of the head become sensitive to male hormones over time and gradually produce finer, shorter hair. Age, overall health and lifestyle can play a part, but genetics usually decides where it happens and roughly when.
Can I tell if I will go bald?
Not with certainty. Hair loss in your family, on either side, is a reasonable hint, and so are early changes at the temples or the crown. The most useful thing you can do is notice how quickly things are changing and have your hair and scalp evaluated if you are concerned.
Is baldness caused by too much testosterone?
Not in the simple way people often assume. Male pattern hair loss is linked to male hormones, but whether those hormones affect your hair depends largely on how sensitive your follicles are, and that sensitivity is inherited. Your consultation is a good place to ask about your own situation.
Can smoking or drinking make you go bald?
Lifestyle is rarely the main cause of male pattern baldness, but habits like smoking, heavy drinking, poor sleep and ongoing stress are hard on your health overall, and your hair is part of that. Hair loss that is sudden or patchy is different, and it should be checked by a doctor or a trichologist.
What are my options if I am going bald?
It depends on your pattern, how much hair you still have and the result you want. National Hair Centers offers non-surgical hair systems, laser hair therapy, hair transplant surgery and trichology evaluations, so we can recommend what fits you rather than steer you toward a single answer.
What happens at the free consultation?
It is a free, private 30-minute conversation. We talk about your hair loss, what concerns you about it, the result you are hoping for and how you live. We look at your existing hair and scalp, then explain the options that may be appropriate for you, including what they cost.
Not in Phoenix Yet? See It First.
Upload a clear photo of yourself and answer a few quick questions to receive your personalized hair system preview right here on the page. A copy will also be emailed to you.
How it works: Our custom AI generates your preview in about 30 seconds. If you are a good candidate for a hair system, a team member from National Hair Centers may reach out to discuss your options.
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If you call after business hours, your message goes directly to owner Sean Dirodis and will be returned within 24 hours.
Personalized solutions. Local care. More than 50 years of experience. Visit us at 5828 N 7th Street, Suite 200, Phoenix. You can check hours, directions and everything else on our contact page, or call us at (602) 230-0000.
More on men's hair loss
- Types of male pattern hair loss: symptoms and treatments
- Treating male pattern baldness
- Hair replacement options for male pattern baldness
- Non-surgical hair replacement for men
- Toupee for men: the modern answer
- What to know before your first consultation
- Hair transplant surgery
- Laser hair therapy
- The full before and after gallery