Men with male pattern baldness often worry about the progression of their condition. Will hair loss stop at a relatively early stage, or will it progress further on the Norwood Scale?
Norwood 4 is a relatively advanced stage of hair loss, though your hair is still thicker than at Norwood stage 5. With a deepening hairline and a growing bald spot on your crown, it can be concerning to reach Norwood stage 4.
But at Norwood stage 4, you still have plenty of options for disguising and (better yet) treating your hair loss. In this article, you’ll learn:
Wondering what Norwood 4 hairlines look like? Both Elon Musk and Jude Law have reached this stage of the Norwood Scale.
Elon Musk’s hair transplant has since addressed his receding hairline, giving him a straighter hairline and vastly increased hair density. But Jude Law, as well as many other celebrities, has embraced his thinning hair.
So is it better to hide your thinning hair with good styling, or opt for a hair loss treatment?
At this stage, you still have enough hair to experiment with styling techniques to disguise your hair loss. Here are three options for switching up your Norwood 4 hairstyle.
Hair loss on the crown can be disguised with a slicked back hairstyle. The trick is to grow your hair longer on the top while keeping it neat and trimmed on the back and sides.
This video shows an amazing hair transformation for a man experiencing Norwood stage 3-4 hair loss:
Hair fibres — also known as hair thickening spray — cling to the hair to create the illusion of hair density. They’re only temporary, so you’ll need to use them daily if you want to reduce the appearance of your hair loss. But they can work well if you’re losing hair across your scalp.
Wayne Rooney’s hair journey has included the use of hair fibres over the years:
Feeling brave? Go full Bruce Willis and buzz your hair. If you’re done with worrying about how noticeable your hair loss is and trying to cover it up, shaving your head can be really empowering.
Scalp micropigmentation creates the illusion of hair density even on a shaved head.
If restyling your hair isn’t working for you, or you want to take proactive steps to address your hair loss, you need to find the right treatment.
Early-stage hair loss treatments (like Minoxidil and topical caffeine shampoo) are less likely to be effective as hair loss progresses. So which treatments work for more advanced hair loss?
Finasteride and Dutasteride work by blocking the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT is a major contributor to androgenetic alopecia, so by preventing this, you can stop and even reverse hair loss.
Both treatments are effective, but Dutasteride appears to be more powerful than Finasteride [1]. Most men start with Finasteride, progressing to Dutasteride if Finasteride doesn’t produce the required results.
As your hair loss progresses to more advanced Norwood stages (i.e. stage 4 onwards), a hair transplant may be the most effective and appropriate treatment choice.
Choosing hair transplant surgery may seem like a drastic step, but many men find it dramatically improves their mental health as well as their hairline.
So if you’re considering a hair transplant for your Norwood 4 hair loss, here’s what you need to know.
Men at this Norwood stage typically see hair loss around the temples and on the crown. This is the most significant difference from Norwood stage 3/3A, in which hair can be lost from either area, but not necessarily both.
For a Norwood 4 hair transplant, you’re likely to need:
Find out how many hair grafts you need for your hair transplant.
Getting a hair transplant is a safe, popular procedure. At this stage, you’ll still have a healthy donor area, so it should be easy for a skilled hair transplant surgeon to give you a fantastic new hairline.
You’ll need to decide whether you choose FUT vs FUE for your procedure. Both options yield excellent results, but there are differences around cost, hair transplant procedure duration, scarring, and recovery time.
You should also consider using Finasteride (or a similar treatment) alongside your hair transplant. Finasteride is safe for most male patients, and stops further hair loss from compromising your look post-procedure.
So what results can you expect from a Norwood 4 hair transplant? Here are some before and after hair transplant photos of Wimpole Clinic patients who needed between 1,600 and 1,800 hair grafts.
Grafts: 1,600Procedure: FUT
Grafts: 1,600Procedure: FUE
Grafts: 1,800Procedure: FUE
We have more than 45 years’ experience providing cutting-edge hair restoration services. From FUE to strip surgery, we can halt and reverse your hair loss using the most up-to-date hair transplant techniques.
Our friendly trichology team is on-hand to answer any questions you have about starting your hair restoration journey. Book a free consultation to get a free hair loss assessment, and a graft quote for your hair loss.
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