Norwood scale
The Hamilton-Norwood scale classifies male pattern hair loss from Type I to Type VII, with A variants where the hairline recedes from front to back. O'Tar Norwood published it in 1975.
Pick the closest stage
Schematic diagrams, front of the head at the top. Descriptions are quoted from a peer-reviewed review of the scale.
Choose the diagram closest to the hair seen from above.
All stages
- Type I
- There is minimal or no recession of the hairline.
- Type II
- There are triangular, usually symmetrical, areas of recession at the frontotemporal hairline.
- Type IIA
- The hairline is anterior to the coronal plane 2 cm anterior to the external auditory meatus.
- Type III
- This represents the minimal extent of hair loss sufficient to be considered as baldness according to Norwood. There are deep symmetrical recession at the temples that are bare or only sparsely covered by hair.
- Type III vertex
- The hair loss is primarily from the vertex with limited recession of the frontotemporal hairline that does not exceed the degree of recession seen in Type III.
- Type IIIA
- The hairline has receded back to a point between the limit of Type IIA and the level of the external auditory meatus.
- Type IV
- The frontotemporal recession is more severe than in Type III and there is sparse hair or no hair on the vertex. The two areas of hair loss are separated by a band of moderately dense hair that extends across the top. This band connects with the fully haired fringe on the sides of the scalp.
- Type IVA
- The hairline has receded beyond the external auditory meatus but has not reached the vertex.
- Type V
- The vertex hair loss region is still separated from the frontotemporal region but it is less distinct. The band of hair across the crown is narrower and sparser and the vertex and frontotemporal regions of hair loss are bigger.
- Type VA
- The area of denudation includes the vertex.
- Type VI
- The bridge of hair that crosses the crown is gone with only sparse hair remaining. The frontotemporal and vertex regions are joined together and the extent of hair loss is greater.
- Type VII
- The most severe form of hair loss and only a narrow band of hair in a horseshoe shape remains on the sides and back of the scalp. This hair is usually not dense and may be quite fine.
In the A variants, the anterior border of the hairline progresses to the rear without leaving an island of hair in the mid-frontal region, and there is no simultaneous development of a bald area on the vertex.