A New Classification of Male Pattern Baldness and a Clinical Study of the Anterior Hairline

Abstract

Male pattern baldness is the most common type of baldness occurring after the age of puberty. Various surgical techniques for hair reconstruction have been introduced. Since the Norwood classification method is too detailed and complicated to be used for various surgical operations, there is a strong need for a simpler classification. Selection of the shape and height of the frontal and temporal hairlines is important in hair restoration surgery. But due to lack of standard measures, there have been difficulties in performing surgical operations for male pattern baldness. We therefore studied the prevalence of male pattern baldness in 1731 Korean men according to age and types, based on the new classification method, between September 1995 and February 1996. At the same time, we also measured the average heights of the frontal and temporal hairlines and identified the morphology and the incidence of various types of anterior hairlines in 108 normal male adults. There are six types of male pattern baldness according to the new classification method. One peculiar type could not be classified by the Norwood classification method. The six types are designated types M, C, O, U, MO, and CO. In the morphological classification of the anterior hairline, the linear type was most common (70.37%). The heights of the frontal and temporal hairlines were 6.53 cm for the median line, 5.9 cm (left side) and 5.95 cm (right side) for the paramedian line, 8.49 cm (left and right side) for the temporal recession line, and 6.61 cm (left side) and 6.62 cm (right side) for the temporal hairline. The authors present the research outcomes as baselines that can be used for hair restoration surgery and further study of male pattern baldness.

A new classification of pattern hair loss that is universal for men and women: Basic and specific (BASP) classification

“…6,8 Bouhanna 13,14 designed a dynamic, multi-factorial classification of certain parameters, such as fixed distances of the face, scalp mobility and thickness, and covering power of hair, that can be quantified and computerized for a more precise surgical approach. Recently, in 2000, Koo et al 15 classified the type of male pattern baldness into 6 types according to the English alphabetical letter shape of the bald area. They then studied the prevalence of MPHL in 1731 Korean men based on their method and according to age and types of baldness.…”

Validity of self reported male balding patterns in epidemiological studies

“…The Hamilton scale has been found to correlate with local hair density[14]. A more simple classification of balding patterns was recently been described for use in hair restoration surgery[16] but this scale has not been used in the epidemiological context.…”

Evaluation of Five Hundred Patients using Ahmad’s NPRT System for Documenting Male Pattern Baldness

“…In 1996, Bouhanna proposed the multi factorial classification [16] . Koo presented a new classification and subdivided into six subtypes in 2000 [17] . In 2002, Cohen introduced his system and in the same year Lee et al proposed the basic and specific classification (BASP) of hair loss pattern [18,19] .…”