Prevalence of male pattern hair loss in 18-49 year old men

BACKGROUND. Previous studies investigating the prevalence of male pattern h air loss (MPHL) typically used biased samples of melt recruited from clinic al populations which may limit generalizability of findings to broader popu lations. OBJECTIVE. TO obtain ail updated and improved estimate of the occurrence of MPHL ill healthy men residing in the community. METHODS. Community-based sample of healthy men aged 18-49 years participate d in a study investigating the effects of MPHL. Participants completed a br ief questionnaire self reporting degree of hair loss, general health-relate d quality of the (HRQL) and hair-loss-specific measures. A trained observer also rated each participant using standardized classification for MPHL. RESULTS. The proportion of men with moderate to extensive hair loss (type I II or greater) was 42%. The proportion of men with moderate to extensive ha ir lass increased with increasing age, ranging from 16% for men 18-29 years of age to 53% of men 40-49. Twelve percent of the men were classified as h aving predominantly frontal baldness (type A variants). CONCLUSIONS. MPHL, especially frontal baldness, may be more common than pre viously reported. (C) 1998 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery , Inc.