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Hair loss statistics 2026: prevalence and treatment results

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Updated
26 linked public sourcesEditorial, sourcing, and corrections policy

Key numbers

  • 42%Men aged 18 to 49 with moderate to extensive hair lossSource: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited 2026-11-10
  • 38%Women aged 70 and over diagnosed with female pattern hair loss at a UK dermatology clinicSource: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited 2026-11-10
  • 48%Men treated with Propecia rated as having more hair growth at 5 yearsSource: dailymed.nlm.nih.gov, as cited 2026-11-10
  • 3.8%Men on Propecia reporting drug-related sexual side effects in 12-month trials (2.1% on placebo)Source: dailymed.nlm.nih.gov, as cited 2026-11-10
  • 45%More hair regrowth with 5% than with 2% topical minoxidil in men over 48 weeksSource: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited 2026-11-10
  • 15.1%Low-dose oral minoxidil patients with hypertrichosis, the most frequent side effectSource: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, as cited 2026-11-10

This page collects hair loss numbers from published studies, FDA drug labels and one FDA safety alert. Each figure is stated with who it applies to, the dose where there is one, and how long the study ran. It was last updated on November 10, 2026.

How common hair loss is

Oral finasteride: hair growth

  • Men aged 18 to 41 with male pattern hair loss who took finasteride 1 mg a day had 107 more hairs than placebo at 1 year and 138 more at 2 years, counted in a 1-inch diameter circle (5.1 cm2) of balding vertex scalp where the baseline was 876 hairs (1553 men in two 1-year trials; 1215 continued for a second year). (Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Kaufman et al., 1998)
  • At 12 months, 58% of men in the placebo group had further hair loss, defined as any decrease in hair count from baseline, compared with 14% of men treated with PROPECIA (finasteride 1 mg), in two trials of men aged 18 to 41 with mild to moderate vertex hair loss. (Source: FDA label, Propecia, 2024)
  • At 5 years, 100% of men in the placebo group demonstrated hair loss, compared with 35% of men treated with PROPECIA, based on hair count in men who continued from the same two trials. The label states 323 men on PROPECIA and 23 on placebo entered the fifth year. (Source: FDA label, Propecia, 2024)
  • At 5 years, 48% of men treated with PROPECIA demonstrated an increase in hair growth, 42% were rated as having no change and 10% were rated as having lost hair compared with baseline, as judged by an independent panel from standardized photographs. (Source: FDA label, Propecia, 2024)
  • In a 12-month study of 137 postmenopausal women with androgenetic alopecia, treated with PROPECIA (67 women) or placebo (70 women), effectiveness could not be demonstrated. (Source: FDA label, Propecia, 2024)

Finasteride safety data

  • In three controlled 12-month trials, 36 of 945 men (3.8%) taking PROPECIA reported one or more drug-related sexual adverse experiences (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction or ejaculation disorder), compared with 20 of 934 men (2.1%) on placebo. (Source: FDA label, Propecia, 2024)
  • In the same three 12-month trials, 1.4% of patients taking PROPECIA (945 patients) stopped treatment because of adverse experiences judged possibly, probably or definitely drug-related, compared with 1.6% of those on placebo (934 patients). (Source: FDA label, Propecia, 2024)
  • There were 32 cases reported to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System for compounded topical finasteride between 2019 and 2024. This is a count of spontaneous reports, not a rate. (Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025)

Minoxidil: topical

  • In a 48-week trial of 393 men aged 18 to 49 with androgenetic alopecia, 5% topical minoxidil (157 men) produced 45% more hair regrowth than 2% topical minoxidil (158 men), with both used twice daily and a placebo group of 78 men. (Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Olsen et al., 2002)
  • In women with female pattern hair loss, once-daily 5% minoxidil foam increased target area hair count by 23.9 ± 2.1 hairs/cm2 (adjusted mean ± standard error) at week 24, and twice-daily 2% minoxidil solution by 24.2 ± 2.1 hairs/cm2; the prespecified noninferiority goal was not met (161 women per group, 52-week trial). (Source: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, Blume-Peytavi et al., 2016)
  • Of 400 consecutive patients with androgenetic alopecia at one dermatology clinic who had been prescribed minoxidil 2% or 5% in the previous 5 years, 345 (86.3%) had discontinued it. (Source: Dermatology and Therapy, Shadi, 2023)
  • Among 99 alopecia patients surveyed at an outpatient university dermatology clinic, adherent patients had used topical minoxidil for a median of 24 months, while non-adherent patients used it for a median of 3.5 months before stopping. (Source: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, Senthilnathan et al., 2023)

What people on Reddit report

Men and women on r/tressless and r/FemaleHairLoss describing whether topical or oral minoxidil, and finasteride, worked for them. Many say they did not respond, and their accounts differ.

Prize_Rope_4679 · tressless

Anecdotally, I used topical Min for 5+ years daily to no avail. I must be in that 30-40% I've now switched to oral for over a year now and it has helped.

Used topical minoxidil for years with no benefit, then switched to oral minoxidil and reports it helped.

Read the source discussion

slowclub27 · tressless

About 40% it doesn't work well for. Works optimally if you use it twice a day. And if you use it in combination with microneedling or tretinoin I believe that 90% of folks should see results

Believes topical minoxidil works poorly for a sizeable minority and says twice-daily use and added treatments help.

Read the source discussion

Ok-Toe4522 · FemaleHairLoss

Same, topical did nothing to me so started on 2.5mg and saw only a slight improvement. Dr upped my dose to 5mg and my hair is looking full and thick again but I also have WAY more body hair and a ton of blonde face/neck hairs.

Topical minoxidil did nothing; oral minoxidil gave a slight gain at first and a fuller result after a dose increase, with more body hair.

Read the source discussion

Krazybaldhead · tressless

I took oral **fin** for ~11 years. By the 10th year, i not only had a lot of sides that were getting progressively worse, my hair slowly thinned out and its effectiveness really seemed to wain.

Reports long-term oral finasteride use where side effects grew and hair thinning returned in later years.

Read the source discussion

Minoxidil: low-dose oral

  • Hypertrichosis was the most frequent adverse effect of low-dose oral minoxidil at 15.1% and led to treatment withdrawal in 14 patients (0.5%), in a retrospective study of 1404 patients (943 women and 461 men) treated for at least 3 months, where dose changes in 1065 patients gave 2469 cases for analysis. (Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Vañó-Galván et al., 2021)
  • In the same 1404-patient study, systemic adverse effects of low-dose oral minoxidil included lightheadedness (1.7%), fluid retention (1.3%), tachycardia (0.9%), headache (0.4%), periorbital edema (0.3%) and insomnia (0.2%), and led to drug discontinuation in 29 patients (1.2%). (Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Vañó-Galván et al., 2021)
  • In a randomized trial of oral minoxidil 5 mg daily for 24 weeks in men aged 18 to 55 with androgenetic alopecia (90 enrolled, 68 completed), hypertrichosis occurred in 22 of 45 (49%) and headache in 6 of 45 (14%) of the oral minoxidil group. (Source: JAMA Dermatology, Penha et al., 2024)

Dutasteride and finasteride compared

  • In a 24-week trial of 917 men aged 20 to 50 randomized across five groups, dutasteride 0.5 mg significantly increased hair count and width in a 2.54-cm diameter area and improved hair growth (frontal view, panel photographic assessment) compared with finasteride 1 mg a day (P = .003, P = .004 and P = .002, respectively). The abstract reports P values only, not hair counts. (Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Gubelin Harcha et al., 2014)

Dr Dray on why combining hair loss treatments works best

Dr Dray argues that the best results for androgenetic alopecia usually come from combining several therapies rather than relying on one. She says topical minoxidil can take months to work, and that heavy shedding early on can be a sign that a person will respond if they stick with it. For people who do not respond to topical use, she presents oral minoxidil as a possible alternative to discuss with a healthcare provider, while noting side effects such as unwanted facial hair growth and light-headedness. On finasteride, she describes it as established for men and able to slow miniaturization, but she says sexual side effects mean it is not right for everyone. She sees topical finasteride as a promising option that still needs more research, and she stresses that patience, consistency and early treatment matter most.

Who is speaking?

Dr Dray. Dermatologist, as described in the video title Background

Episode notes and full video

Alopecia areata

Alopecia areata and JAK inhibitors

  • In adults with severe alopecia areata (SALT score of 50 or higher), the estimated percentage with a SALT score of 20 or less at week 36 was 38.8% with 4-mg baricitinib, 22.8% with 2-mg baricitinib and 6.2% with placebo in BRAVE-AA1 (654 patients), and 35.9%, 19.4% and 3.3%, respectively, in BRAVE-AA2 (546 patients). A SALT score of 20 or less means 20% or less scalp hair loss. (Source: New England Journal of Medicine, King et al., 2022)
  • Of adults with at least 50% scalp hair loss treated with baricitinib 4 mg and 2 mg, respectively, 40.9% and 21.2% in BRAVE-AA1 (465 patients) and 36.8% and 24.4% in BRAVE-AA2 (390 patients) achieved a SALT score of 20 or less at week 52. There was no placebo comparison at week 52. (Source: American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, Kwon et al., 2023)
  • In adults who had reached a SALT score of 20 or less on 4 mg at 52 weeks and were then randomized, after an additional 24 weeks (76 weeks total) 75% (30 of 40) of those stepped down to OLUMIANT 2 mg once daily maintained response, and 98% (41 of 42) of those who stayed on 4 mg once daily maintained response. (Source: FDA label, Olumiant, 2026)
  • In the THRIVE-AA1 trial of adults aged 18 to 65 with 50% or more hair loss, 29.6% of patients taking deuruxolitinib 8 mg and 41.5% taking 12 mg twice daily met the primary end point (a SALT score of 20 or less) at 24 weeks, versus 0.8% on placebo. The 12 mg dose is not FDA-approved. (Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, King et al., 2024)

Hair shedding after illness

  • In a prospective cohort of 77 patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19, 68.8% reported telogen effluvium after hospital discharge, based on telephone interviews at 3 and 6 months. This is a small group of hospitalized patients and does not describe the general population. (Source: Acta Dermatovenerologica Croatica, Damevska et al., 2024)

HealthRX.com in numbers

How these numbers were collected

Common questions

What percentage of men go bald?

It depends on age and how hair loss is defined. In one community sample of men aged 18 to 49, 42% had moderate to extensive hair loss (type III or greater). That share ranged from 16% for men aged 18-29 to 53% for men aged 40-49.

What percent of women experience hair loss?

It rises with age. Among 377 women at a dermatology clinic in Sheffield, UK, 6% of women under 50 years had female pattern hair loss, increasing to 38% of women aged 70 years and over. In a six-city study in China, androgenetic alopecia affected 6.0% of women overall.

At what age do men start balding?

The studies here report prevalence by age group, not a starting age. In one community sample, moderate to extensive hair loss was found in 16% of men aged 18-29 and 53% of men aged 40-49. In the six-city study in China, androgenetic alopecia affected 2.8% of men aged 18-29 years and 13.3% of men aged 30-39 years.

How effective is finasteride for hair loss?

In the FDA label for PROPECIA, 48% of men treated for 5 years were rated as having an increase in hair growth, 42% as having no change and 10% as having lost hair, compared with baseline. At 5 years, 100% of men in the placebo group demonstrated hair loss, compared with 35% of men treated with PROPECIA, based on hair count. The label states 323 men on PROPECIA and 23 on placebo entered the fifth year.

How effective is minoxidil for women?

In a 52-week trial in women with female pattern hair loss, once-daily 5% minoxidil foam increased target area hair count by 23.9 ± 2.1 hairs/cm2 at week 24, and twice-daily 2% minoxidil solution increased it by 24.2 ± 2.1 hairs/cm2 at week 24 (adjusted mean ± standard error). The prespecified noninferiority goal was not met. Each group had 161 women.

How common is alopecia areata?

In an online survey of a representative sample of the US population, clinician-adjudicated point prevalence was 0.21%. In Olmsted County, Minnesota, cumulative lifetime incidence was estimated at 2.1%, based on residents newly diagnosed from 1990 through 2009.

How common are oral minoxidil side effects?

In a retrospective study of 1404 patients taking low-dose oral minoxidil, hypertrichosis was the most frequent adverse effect at 15.1% (2469 dose cases analyzed). Systemic adverse effects included lightheadedness (1.7%) and fluid retention (1.3%), and led to drug discontinuation in 29 patients (1.2%).

Questions worth asking

Choose the questions you want to keep

What people actually ask

Does finasteride 100% stop balding?

No. At 5 years, 35% of men treated with PROPECIA had hair loss based on hair count, compared with 100% of men on placebo. In a separate 5-year assessment by an independent panel, 48% of treated men showed increased hair growth, 42% showed no change and 10% had lost hair.

Can finasteride work for 20 years?

This is not established. The longest study reported runs 5 years, with 323 men on PROPECIA entering the fifth year. The text does not show results beyond that point.

Is 25 too late for finasteride?

Age 25 falls within the range studied. The trials enrolled men aged 18 to 41 with mild to moderate vertex hair loss, using finasteride 1 mg a day. The text does not say whether starting at an older age works less well, so that is not established.

Is it better to use 2% or 5% minoxidil?

The 5% strength did better in the one head-to-head trial reported. In a 48-week trial of 393 men aged 18 to 49 with androgenetic alopecia, 5% topical minoxidil produced 45% more hair regrowth than 2%, with both used twice daily.

References

Evidence overview for Hair loss statistics 2026: prevalence and treatment results