The Norwood Scale
The Norwood scale is the standard way to classify male-pattern baldness. It describes how a hairline and crown recede over time, from a full juvenile hairline (stage 1) to a narrow horseshoe of hair (stage 7). Knowing your stage helps you understand whether to treat, and what a hair transplant could realistically achieve.
Norwood Stage 1
Minimal or no recession — a juvenile hairline
Norwood Stage 2
Slight recession at the temples — a maturing hairline
Norwood Stage 3
Deepening temporal recession — the first stage of "visible" balding
Norwood Stage 3 Vertex
Crown thinning dominates, with milder frontal recession
Norwood Stage 4
Marked recession and a clearly thinning crown
Norwood Stage 5
The bridging band of hair narrows significantly
Norwood Stage 6
Only a sparse fringe remains on the sides and back
Norwood Stage 7
The most advanced stage — only a narrow horseshoe remains
Norwood Class A Variant
Hairline recedes straight back — no "island" of hair