Hair loss is a subject that’s surrounded by myths and half-truths. This being the case, some solid stats are always welcome. Below are 10 hair loss stats that you probably didn’t know.
1. 60% of men can’t spot a hair transplant
There was a time when hair transplants were viewed as a last desperate measure for men who couldn’t accept they were losing their hair. A few decades back, the horrendous ‘plug’ look that hair transplants provided meant that you could spot them a mile away.
Things have come on a long way since then however and modern transplant techniques such as FUT and FUE hair transplant mean that 60% of men cannot spot a hair transplant. This is according to research conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) in 2009, where men were shown a line up and three-fifths couldn’t tell who’d had a transplant.
2. 9 out of 10 men who are balding say hair loss is their number 1 concern
This stat really reveals how damaging hair fall can be to a person’s confidence. It’s easy for those who haven’t been personally affected by balding to see it as a trivial matter when compared to problems that are seemingly more serious. However, with so many men with hair loss citing it as their number 1 concern, it’s clear that it’s a big problem.
3. 40% of men have noticeable hair loss by their mid 30s
When you suffer from hair loss, it’s easy to notice all the guys around you who have a perfect head of hair, however hair loss affects most men at some point in their life. Whilst the majority of men still have their hair in the 30s, those numbers change significantly when you go higher up the age ranges, with 85% of men having some form of hair loss by age 50.
4. 75% of British men believe that hair loss is not preventable
Whether or not hair loss is preventable is certainly a topic of debate. With 75% of British men believe that it is not, it’s clear that there is yet to be a treatment available that works for everyone. While finasteride and minoxidil are both proven treatments, they don’t work for everyone and their effectiveness varies greatly.
5. 50% of hair is gone before it becomes visible
This is one of the scariest stats regarding hair loss. Most men believe that they started losing their hair once it was visibly apparent but it could have started a lot early. This is because 50% of your hair is already gone before it becomes visible. This is why it’s always stressed that it’s better to get on treatment as early as possible so you don’t have to make up for lost ground later on.
6. 47% of hair loss sufferers would spend their life savings to get their hair back
This seems like an incredible figure but for those whose confidence is severely affected by hair fall, giving up their life savings to get their hair back probably seems like a small sacrifice. This stat also reveals just why the hair fall industry is worth as much as it is each year. Hair fall is something that nobody wants to deal with and many are prepared to spend a lot of money to combat it.
7. 40% of men are misinformed when it comes to the genetic source of hair loss
Whilst most men are aware that hair loss is primarily down to their genes, many still believe that it’s one side of their family that’s responsible for them suffering from hair fall. However, science has showed that hair loss can in fact be inherited from either parent.
8. 35 million American men are suffering from male pattern baldness
To put it another way, that’s roughly 10% of the entire population. Given this number, it’s clear that male pattern balding is not a small problem. Many men all across the States look for ways to combat thinning hair and as with anything, hair loss is better treated as early as possible.
9. The occurrence of balding in men matches the decade of life they’re in
It’s a somewhat surprising fact that the percentage of male pattern baldness in the general population correlates to the decade of life a man is in. This means that roughly 20% of men in their 20s have MPB, 30% of men in their 30s, 40% of men in their 40s and so on.
10. Hair loss affects roughly 50% of women
Hair loss isn’t something that just affects men, although you’d be forgiven for thinking this because of the way it’s portrayed in the media. There are in fact many women around the world who are suffering with hair loss too. The most common type of hair loss that women suffer from is thinning although it’s also very possible for women to have alopecia.
