Sometimes it's obvious.  No ambiguity.  The hair is definitely thinning, the temples receding, a bald spot forming in the crown.  For many folks however, the progression of hair loss can be maddeningly subtle.  

Over the course of months and sometimes years, gradual changes signal a transition from healthy vigorous hair growth to pattern baldness.  As these changes occur, it may be very difficult to gauge the rate and progression of hair loss.  For people in this situation, a typical response is to pretend it's not happening.  You may try a different hairstyle, or comb your hair in a new direction.  You might try styling aids including hair dyes or bleach.  For a short time, it may appear as though your hair is once again your friend and a part of you that you can be happy with.  Soon however, the frustrating negative changes become evident again.  And your frustration grows as your hair "doesn't".  

So, how to know if your sneaking suspicions are warranted?  Are there relatively easy ways to determine whether you're really losing your hair?  Actually, there are.  Here are some useful non-invasive suggestions to help you gauge what's happening up there.

1)  COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS (OR AT LEAST YOUR HAIRS)

Perhaps surprisingly, you actually have to lose almost half your hair before pattern baldness becomes readily apparent.  But until you reach that stage, one thing you can do is count hairs in your sink and shower.  A non-balding person will shed between 50 and 100 scalp hairs daily.  

Since the average person has more than 100,000 scalp hairs available, this is not such a big deal.  If you find more than ten or twenty hairs falling into your sink and/or shower then you may be experiencing an acceleration in the rate of hair loss.

2)  COMPARE, CONTRAST, CONSIDER

In plain English, take photos.  Take monthly photos of your hair from approximately the same distance, under the same lighting conditions and angle.  Over time, you will see a trend and you will have photographic evidence you can use to determine the change occurring in your hair.  Interestingly, when a person begins HairGenesis® treatment we strongly urge them to do the same thing.  But of course, as treatment progresses, a client will generally see positive changes in the density and coverage their hair displays over time.  

3)  USE A TIME MACHINE

On the oft chance that a time machine's not available, you can learn a lot by simply looking at your family tree.  Is your dad bald?  Or, if you're a woman, is mom's hair getting thinner with each passing year?  Here's a handy secret you can use very effectively.  Who do you resemble most, mom or dad?  It is thought that the genes responsible for your facial appearance may influence your hair growth too.  So if you are the spitting image of dad then your hair growth/hair loss will probably follow his pretty closely.  

4)  JUST THE FACTS MA'AM

When in doubt, ask someone you trust.  Explain that you're not looking for an opinion that shields your feelings, but you are looking for the truth.  You can also convey the point to whomever it is you're asking that knowledge is power and by knowing if you're actually experiencing hair loss, you can do something about it before it's too late.  

5) STOP WORRYING

Now here's the most important thing.  Armed with useful data, you can indeed address and potentially reverse pattern hair loss, but only "if" you know for sure that you're really losing your hair.  So, take a deep breath.  Relax.  And use these four tools to help you figure out what's going on.  As is true for most of life's problems, once you know where you stand, you've a much better chance in solving the problem.