Androgenetic Alopecia (Pattern Hair Loss)
Androgenetic alopecia, better known as male or female pattern hair loss, is one of the most common reasons hair thins with age. This section covers the condition itself: how to recognize and stage it, how the main prescription treatment works, what the side-effect evidence really shows, and which popular worries about triggers hold up.
If you are new to this, begin with the Norwood and Ludwig scales to put a name to what you are seeing. Then read the complete finasteride guide and finasteride side effects, which separates what's well documented from what's anecdote. Does creatine cause hair loss? looks at one of the most-searched worries, and our post-finasteride syndrome page lays out what the evidence does and doesn't show.
For individual treatments beyond finasteride, see the Treatments section. Our methodology explains how we grade evidence and why we say so when it's thin.
9 evidence-based articles
Receding Hairline: Treatments That Actually Work (and What Doesn't)
Receding hairline treatment by evidence: finasteride's frontal-scalp trial, dutasteride, oral vs topical minoxidil at the front, and when it isn't balding.
Female Pattern Baldness: Causes and Treatments That Work
Female pattern baldness thins the crown and spares the hairline. Minoxidil is first-line, spironolactone helps some women, and iron and thyroid come first.
Does Testosterone (TRT) Cause Hair Loss? The Honest Answer
Does TRT cause hair loss? Testosterone doesn't, DHT does. But TRT raises the raw material for DHT and can speed pattern loss in prone men. How to keep hair.
Hair Loss in Your 20s: Why It Happens and What to Do Now
Hair loss in your 20s is usually early pattern baldness, often a strong genetic pattern. The upside: it's the best time to treat, when medication protects most.
Finasteride for Hair Loss: The Complete Guide (2026)
Finasteride for hair loss: the most effective oral treatment for male pattern baldness. How it works, honest side effects, Propecia vs generic, where to get it.
Finasteride Side Effects: What's Real, What's Reversible, and the Honest Risk (2026)
Finasteride side effects, honestly: sexual effects, the nocebo effect, mood, post-finasteride syndrome and fertility. What the trials show about real risk.
Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS): What the Evidence Actually Says (2026)
Post-finasteride syndrome: the persistent symptoms some men report after stopping finasteride. What's established, what's contested, and how to decide.
Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? What the Evidence Actually Shows
Does creatine cause hair loss? The fear rests on one 2009 study where creatine raised DHT 56%. No study shows hair loss. The honest read if you're prone.
The Norwood Scale (and Ludwig Scale): How to Stage Your Hair Loss
The Norwood scale stages male pattern baldness from I to VII; the Ludwig scale does it for women. Your stage tells you how urgent treatment is and what works.