Hair loss is traditionally thought to be the curse of middle aged men, but the reality is that it can happen to anyone of any age or sex. Commonly there are no symptoms other than the physical loss of hair itself, so it is important to keep an eye out for spotting the early signs of balding so that it can be addresses before it advances too far.

With men, baldness typically begins on the forehead, the front hairline, and on top of the head. A receding hairline is an obvious first sign of early balding, but as the process is gradual, it may take some time before you realise that this is what is happening. If you have any concerns, a good way to check is to compare a photograph of you a year or so ago to how you look now. If your forehead seems more pronounced than previously it is probable that you are balding, as is also the case if the hair at your temples is beginning to dwindle.

As well as the actual loss of hair, balding can also manifest itself as thinning of the hair. The hairs will not be noticeably falling out, but gradually are getting thinner due to shrinking hair follicles. To check for this you should comb your hair into a middle parting and tug on it to show your scalp. If any widening in the size of the gap between hairs is seen, this could be indicative of thinning hair which can progress to actual hair loss and eventually the balding of the crown.

With women, thinning hair is the most common indication of balding. A receding hair line is much less common than with men and it is very unlikely that a woman will go bald. It can often be more difficult for a woman to spot the tell tale signs of thinning hair, as their hair tends to be much longer than their male counterparts.

A useful tip for women trying to spot the early stages of thinning hair is to regularly monitor your hair brush and tie. If you find yourself having to clean hair from your brush on a regular basis, or if you see that there seems to be more hair accumulating than normal then these could be warning signs. Other things to look for which can indicate above average hair loss are having to add an extra loop when tying your hair back, and discovering more clumps of hair lying around on the floor than normal.

Spotting the early signs of balding are vital if you want to prevent extreme hair loss, so make sure you perform regular checks so as to identify the problem early and get treatment as early as possible.