How Can I Tell If My Hair Is Thinning?

A bad hair day isn’t fun but it’s manageable. Multiple bad hair days in a row? Now that might get you thinking.

Is your hair just having an off moment? Is it the shampoo you’re using? Are you sleeping differently?

Or is your hair thinning? 

The thing is, there isn’t one simple way to tell if your hair is thinning. 

But we do have some help. 

Various doctors in years past have written up detailed scales to detect the average pattern of thinning hair and hair loss in males and females. 

In this article, we’ll look at what those scales say, along with the most common hair thinning symptoms we know about. 

But First — Is It Thinning Hair or Do You Just Have Fine Hair?

Because there is a difference. 

Fine hair refers to the diameter of the hair itself. It means every strand on your head is thin because your hair follicles are genetically small and narrow. 

That doesn’t mean you don’t have lots of strands. A person can have a hairy head with lots of very fine hairs. 

But it may make your hair smooth, a bit floppy and sometimes lacking in volume. 

Thinning hair though? 

That’s even more hairy — but not in the hirsute way. 

Thinning hair is about density — how much hair you have. And if you’ve noticed that your hair doesn’t feel as thick as it once was, there’s a chance you may be thinning out.

Have questions about the signs of hair loss? Head to our guide on all things hair loss symptoms. 

The Common Symptoms of Thinning Hair 

We all shed hair. About 50–100 hairs a day, on average. So noticing some hairs in the shower or on the brush or pillow isn’t enough on its own to detect thinning hair.

Instead, it’s about looking out for other common signs of thinning hair. But that’s tricky too, because this isn’t a condition that comes with an easy checklist of symptoms.

What thinning hair looks like differs depending on a range of things, including the type of hair you have and whether you’re male or female.

To spot a case of thinning hair, you need to know your hair well enough to detect subtle changes over time. 

Sometimes it can be difficult to notice those changes. But it can be worth looking out for them because the earlier you spot the signs, the sooner you can do something about it. 

And the sooner you do something about it, the greater the chance you have not just of stopping further thinning but potentially even regrowing the hair you’ve lost.

The Symptoms of Thinning Hair in Males

We hate to break it to you but as a male, there’s a strong chance you may experience at least some degree of thinning hair at some point in your life. 

That’s because 80% of all Australian men experience hair loss in their lifetime.

Thinning hair doesn’t mean you’re on the inevitable road to balding — especially if you catch it early and do something about it. 

So without further ado, here are some of the most common symptoms of thinning hair in males:

Your hairline is receding

Don’t just look at the receding hairline. It may be that your forehead appears larger or more visible than you remember! 

Your scalp is more visible through your hair

This can be a tricky one to spot. You may only notice it after a particularly nasty bout of scalp sunburn. Or it might be that you spot the top or back of your head in a photo and it’s looking a little sparser than you thought it was. 

You’re shedding more hair than usual 

There are any number of ways you may notice this. You might come away with more hairs when you run your hands or a comb through your hair. There may be more strands in the drain or on the pillow. 

Your hair isn’t sitting like it used to

Thinning hair may not act the same as the head full of hair that you’re used to. You might catch yourself styling it differently to hide what you suspect is a bald spot. 

Learn more about potential therapies for men’s hair loss. 

Use the Norwood Scale to Tell If Your Hair Is Thinning

If your hair is thinning, there’s a chance you have male pattern baldness, an inherited condition that’s the most common type of hair loss in males. 

In good news, this type of hair loss can be treated. But treatment is far more effective if you catch the hair loss early. 

So how do you know you’ve caught it early?

By knowing the stages of men’s hair loss. 

Male pattern baldness follows a general pattern, which has been summarised in the Norwood Scale. 

The Norwood Scale grades the severity of hair loss in men, from a full head of hair at Stage 1 through a receding hairline and balding crown to almost complete baldness by Stage 7:  

• Stage 1: No visible signs of balding or a thinning hairline.
• Stage 2: A mild receding hairline at the templates (or a mature hairline — see below)
• Stage 3: A significantly visible receding hairline with bald spots or profound thinning, creating an M, V, or U shape at the temples. Alternatively, the hairline remains in the Stage 2 position but there’s substantial hair loss at the vertex (crown).
• Stage 4: There’s little to no hair on top of the scalp. A narrow band of hair links patches of hair around the sides of the head.
• Stage 5: The band of hair becomes noticeably thinner as areas of hair loss grow.
• Stage 6: Any band of hair on top of the scalp is nearly or totally gone. Hair loss from the temples reaches the crown.
• Stage 7: The top of the head is bald, although there may still be some hair at the back and sides of the head.

The Symptoms of Thinning Hair in Females

It can be both easier and harder for women to tell that their hair is thinning. You may not get the obvious signs, like a receding hairline or a bald patch. 

But since you tend to have more hair and you do more with it, you’re more familiar with how it should look and feel — both on your head and in the number of strands left in the drain. 

Don’t worry.

More than 55% of women experience some degree of hair shedding in their lifetime. And there are things you can do about it. 

But first, here are some of the most common symptoms of thinning hair in females:

The diameter of your ponytail feels narrower than ever

You might also notice that it’s harder to style your hair. The top bun may be harder to keep in place or smaller in size. You may have less hair to braid. Or perhaps you’re adjusting your hairstyle to cover up thinning areas. 

The part in your hair looks wider than usual

Instead of a receding hairline, hair thinning in women often starts at the hairline — more on that below. 

You’re shedding more hair than usual 

Your hair could be falling out in clumps when you run your fingers through it. Or perhaps there are bigger clumps in the shower drain or on your pillow. 

Learn more about potential therapies for women’s hair loss. 

Use the Ludwig Scale to Tell If Your Hair Is Thinning

Only men experience genetic hair loss as they age, right? Not quite. There are many reasons why women experience thinning hair; genetic hair loss (or androgenetic alopecia) is one of them. 

Genetic hair loss in women is called female pattern hair loss and it’s the most common cause of thinning hair in women. 

Just like male pattern baldness, it follows a particular trajectory. But that trajectory looks a little different in females so we have different scales to track it. 

The most common scale is the Ludwig Scale, which measures female hair thinning through 3 different stages, generally focusing on the width of the central part:

• Type I is almost imperceptible and deemed mild, with hair loss typically only noticeable when a part is made right down the centre of the scalp.
• Type II involves a more obvious shedding and thinning of hair. You might notice less volume in your locks and a broadening of the mid-line part.
• Type III is more extreme. There’s widespread thinning and you may be able to see through to the top of your scalp.

Professor Rodney Sinclair, the dermatologist who invented the technology behind The Hairy Pill®, has also come up with the world-renowned Sinclair Scale. It’s a little more detailed and measures the severity of hair thinning in 5 grades — again with a focus on the midline part.

Heads up: When you fill out the form to begin therapy with The Hairy Pill®, we will ask you to assess the severity of your hair loss using the Sinclair Scale. 

Assess your hair with our detailed guide to the Ludwig and Sinclair Scales.

Concerned About Thinning Hair?

Concerned and wondering how to stop thinning hair? 

If you’ve caught it in the earlier stages, you may be able to stop further hair loss and regrow your hair. The earlier you start treatment, the more effective it can be. 

The Hairy Pill® can give you access to one of our partner doctors, who can assess the state of your hair and your needs and recommend a personalised hair loss therapy that may halt the progress of hair thinning and even reverse your hair loss. 

We also have partner pharmacists who can compound the treatment so that it’s truly personalised to you.

No gimmicks. Just science.

It takes just 5 minutes to get started.