Glossary · Dr Sin Yong’s protocols

Androgenetic alopecia:
the medical name for pattern hair loss

Name: Androgenetic alopecia: Meaning | Dr Sin Yong
Creator: Dr Sin Yong
Published: 2026-10-13

Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · Last reviewed 6 November 2026 · 3 min read

Main guide Hair loss treatment Singapore — what it treats, who it suits, sessions, downtime and what decides the cost, by Dr Sin Yong.

Published 13 October 2026 · Reviewed by Dr Sin Yong

Illustrative image of a man with his hand on his scalp, looking at his reflection in a mirror in warm window light — not a patient

Androgenetic alopecia is pattern hair loss: progressive miniaturisation of scalp follicles driven by inherited sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), producing finer, shorter hairs before a follicle stops producing at all. It is staged on the Norwood scale in men and the Ludwig scale in women, after trichoscopy. A miniaturised follicle can still respond; one that has gone cannot, so staging comes before treatment. Prescription medicines such as finasteride and minoxidil form the foundation, with laser and regenerative options layered around them.

Key facts

ICD-10: L64
Mechanism: Inherited follicle sensitivity to DHT; progressive miniaturisation over hair cycles
Staging: Norwood scale (men), Ludwig scale (women), with trichoscopy; blood tests where indicated
Foundation: Prescription medicines such as finasteride and minoxidil, started after assessment; adjuncts are layered around them

A woman in her forties running her fingers through her dark hair (illustrative image, not a patient) — Illustrative image, not a patient.

Where androgenetic alopecia matters on this site

Pattern hair loss is the diagnosis behind most of the hair pages on this site, and each of them begins by confirming it and staging it.

A miniaturised follicle can still respond; a follicle that has gone cannot, so staging comes before any treatment is chosen.— Dr Sin Yong

Male hair loss treatment: DHT and follicle miniaturisation, and the protocol for each level of loss.
Anti-hair-loss medications: the medical foundation, including topical finasteride and blood test monitoring.
Receding hairline: the Norwood stages, and what works and does not at the hairline.
H2LT laser: the laser hair-loss protocol, and who it suits.
Minoxidil: topical against oral, and the early shedding phase.
Hair transplant: when follicles are gone and relocation is the honest conversation.

On every one of those pages the order is the same: identify the kind of hair loss, stage it, start medical therapy where indicated, and only then layer laser or regenerative options around it. A plan that starts with a device has skipped the diagnosis.

Not to be confused with

Several kinds of hair loss look like thinning and are treated differently.

Telogen effluvium. Sudden diffuse shedding some time after a trigger such as illness, childbirth or stress. It often settles once the trigger is dealt with, and it can unmask pattern loss underneath.
Alopecia areata. Round, smooth bald patches from an autoimmune attack on the follicle. It is not a miniaturisation process.
Traction alopecia. Loss at the hairline and parting from tight hairstyles. Continued tension can lead to lasting loss, so the cause is changed early.
Seborrhoeic dermatitis. A flaking, inflamed scalp. It can coexist with pattern loss and is treated alongside it.

Trichoscopy, the history and, where indicated, blood tests separate these before any treatment is chosen. Many people have more than one, and an injectable or a device aimed at the wrong diagnosis only delays the right one.

What decides how androgenetic alopecia is treated for you

A miniaturised follicle can still respond and one that has gone cannot, so the plan depends on where you are on that line.

Your stage. Norwood in men and Ludwig in women, read with trichoscopy. Earlier stages have more living follicles to work with.
Sex and blood tests. Women have a longer list of contributing causes, so blood tests are often part of the assessment; see female hair loss blood work.
Medical therapy. It forms the foundation and must be used continuously, because stopping leads to rebound shedding.
Pregnancy plans. Some medicines are unsuitable for women who are or may become pregnant, which changes the choice.
Regenerative options. Micrografting and fractional laser stimulation are layered around medical therapy by stage, not instead of it.
Bald, shiny zones. Where follicles have gone, transplant referral is discussed.

Progress is judged against baseline trichoscopy and photographs, because hair changes slowly.

Where it fits

Hair loss treatment starts by identifying the kind of hair loss, because pattern thinning, diffuse shedding and patchy autoimmune loss are treated differently. For androgenetic alopecia, Dr Sin Yong's programme treats in layers: medical therapy to slow the loss, then regenerative options for the follicles that remain, including Regenera Activa autologous micrografts and the 1540 nm fractional laser stimulation protocol he published in PRIME Journal, sequenced by stage. Once a zone is genuinely bald and shiny, follicles are gone and transplant referral is the honest conversation. Full page: hair loss treatment; the regenerative arm on hair regrowth treatment; women specifically on female hair loss treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Some people notice increased shedding in the early phase of minoxidil use. It is usually a sign that the hair cycle is changing, as resting hairs that were already due to fall are pushed out so that growing hairs can replace them. It generally settles with continued use. Product information advises regular use for a sustained period before judging the response, and progress is reviewed against baseline photographs.

The Norwood scale is the staging system for male pattern hair loss, running from a stable hairline through progressive recession at the temples and thinning at the crown to extensive loss across the crown and front of the scalp. Women are staged on the Ludwig scale instead, which grades diffuse thinning over the crown with a preserved hairline. Staging, read with trichoscopy, decides which treatments are worth considering.

No. It affects women too, in a different distribution: diffuse thinning over the crown with a preserved hairline, staged on the Ludwig scale rather than the Norwood scale. Other causes of female hair loss are excluded with blood tests where indicated.

No. Regenerative treatment acts on follicles that have miniaturised but are still alive. A zone that is bald and shiny has lost its follicles, and hair transplantation becomes the relevant discussion; Dr Sin Yong refers on for that.

Androgenetic alopecia:the medical name for pattern hair loss