Norwood and Ludwig Scales
Norwood Scale (For Men)
The Norwood scale is a classification system used to assess male pattern hair loss. It was developed by Dr. James Hamilton in the 1950s and later expanded by Dr. O’Tar Norwood. This scale is used to determine the progression and degree of hair loss in men and consists of seven main stages:
Stage 1: Minor hairline changes, very little hair loss.
Stage 2: Slight loss in the forehead area, hairline begins to recede.
Stage 3: Significant forehead loss, the hairline recedes further.
Stage 4: Hair loss in the vertex area begins, with distinct openings in the forehead and vertex area.
Stage 5: Increased hair loss on the crown and forehead, thinning of the hairline in between.
Stage 6: Losses in the forehead and vertex area merge, severe hair loss is seen.
Stage 7: The most advanced stage, only hair remains on the sides and back of the head.
Ludwig Scale (For Women)
The Ludwig scale is a classification system used to assess female pattern hair loss. This scale was developed by Dr. Erich Ludwig and assesses hair loss in women in three main stages:
Stage 1: Mild hair thinning, no obvious change in the hairline.
Stage 2: Moderate hair thinning, with significant hair loss in the crown area.
Stage 3: Severe hair thinning, with severe openings in the crown area.
The Role of These Scales in Hair Loss Assessment
The Norwood and Ludwig scales are used to objectively assess the degree and progression of hair loss. These scales play an important role in planning hair loss treatments and determining patients’ suitability for treatment. These scales help doctors and patients better understand the severity of hair loss and potential treatment options. In surgical interventions such as hair transplantation, these scales are also used to determine the number of grafts needed and the areas to be transplanted.
What is a Hair Graft?
When it comes to hair transplantation, many technical details can cause confusion. ‘Graft’ is one of the most frequently used terms during hair transplantation and one of the topics that people are often curious about. A hair graft is simply tissue containing a group of hair strands and each graft can contain several hair follicles.
These groups are of great importance in hair transplantation procedures because modern hair transplantation techniques involve transplanting hair grafts, not hair follicles.
Healthy hair grafts in the nape area are of great importance. The success of your hair transplant surgery will be determined by the number and health of the existing hair grafts. The first thing to evaluate before starting the hair transplant procedure is the suitability of the hair grafts in the donor area. Therefore, it is important to know what a healthy hair graft means. A healthy hair graft should contain one or more healthy hair follicles and remain alive during the operation.
