Many of us worry about losing our hair. Will we or won’t we? Can we prevent it? Is this normal? Are we going bald?

Perhaps. You may be surprised to know that millions of us will experience some degree of hair loss by the time we are 50.¹ And it’s not just men. As many as 40% of people with hair loss are women.² Still, it can be a small comfort when we are going through a stressful transition that is very personal and often very isolating.

Knowing the facts about hair loss can help ease our anxiety and make us feel less alone. Here are 30 interesting hair loss statistics and other useful information to help put this common occurrence into perspective.

Common Types of Hair Loss: A Brief Overview

Before diving into the facts and figures, it’s helpful to understand some of the most common ones types of hair loss and why they happen. These are

• Alopecia areata (AA): Literally meaning “spotted” (areata) and “hair loss” (alopecia), this poorly understood condition usually begins in childhood or young adulthood and cycles through phases of remission, regrowth, and renewed loss throughout life.
• Androgenetic alopecia (AGA): Also known as age-related pattern baldness, this hereditary (passed down from your parents) form of hair loss is also the most common. Sometimes it can be treated, but results can vary widely.
• Cicatricial alopecia (CA): This scarring and often permanent form of hair loss includes several subtypes (see: lichen planopilaris and frontal fibrosing alopecia, below), which affects women more often than men.
• Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA): Typically diagnosed in postmenopausal women, FFA starts slowly at the hairline and eyebrows and can progress to the middle of the scalp – or further – without early diagnosis and treatment.
• Lichen planopilaris (LPP): Most common in younger women, this rare inflammatory condition attacks the hair follicles and leads to patchy, progressive hair loss that can be slowed or stopped—but not reversed—with treatment.
• Telogen effluvium (TE): Generally temporary and reversible, this diffuse and significant shedding occurs when a trigger—such as stress or medication—forces a large percentage of hair follicles into the telogen (resting) phase at once.

General Hair Loss: Facts and Statistics

How much hair do people have? Is outcome normal? Does my lifestyle contribute to hair loss? Am I in vain to worry? Here’s what the statistics reveal:

• On average, healthy adults have between 80,000-120,000 hairs on their head.³
• It is normal to shed between 50-100 hairs each day.³
• Androgenetic alopecia (hereditary baldness) is the most common cause hair loss in men and hair loss in women.⁴
• Smoking is bad for our hair. Compared to non-smokers, significantly more people who light up experience hair loss (85% vs. 40%).⁵
• Market research suggests that Americans will spend $2.22 billion on hair loss products by 2025.⁶

Hair Loss and Aging: Facts and Statistics

People of all ages can lose their hair. Still, hair loss becomes more prevalent the older we get. By age 65, an estimated 53% of men and 37% of women will experience baldness.⁷ Why? There is no single answer, but certain factors contribute age-related hair loss. Consider that:

• The hair follicles naturally slow down over time. Eventually, some follicles stop producing hair altogether.⁴
• The risk of developing certain chronic conditions associated with hair loss – such as type 2 diabetes – increases with age^.8,9
• Medicines for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart arrhythmias (such as AFib) can cause hair loss. 10
• Certain dietary deficiencies associated with hair loss—including protein, iron, and vitamin B12—are common among adults age 65+.^11,12,13
• As we age, we are more likely to experience physical and emotional stressors – such as retirement and death – that can trigger hair loss.14

Hair loss and sex: Facts and statistics

Our genes and hormones both affect our hair. This means that men and women can experience hair loss in different ways, at different rates and for different reasons. Consider that:

• During our lifetime, 85% of men and 33% of women will live with some form of hair loss. Among these groups, a quarter (25%) of men will start losing their hair by age 30; only 12% of women will.⁵
• Androgenetic alopecia presents differently in men and women. Female pattern baldness is diffuse (distributed more evenly over the scalp), while male pattern baldness is focal (concentrated) at the temples and crown.¹⁵
• More women than men report having TE at some point in their lives.⁵ This may be due to pregnancy and menopause related hormonal changes and higher levels of external stress.
• Among men with hair loss, AGA is responsible for 95% of it.16 While conventional medical wisdom has historically held that men inherit pattern baldness from their mother’s side, new research paints a more complicated genetic picture.¹⁶

Hair loss around the world: Facts and statistics

Hair loss is an almost universal experience – shared across continents and cultures. For example:

• In China, 250 million people (1 in 6) suffer from hair loss.¹⁷
• In India, almost 63% of men aged 21-61 suffer from hair loss.⁵
• In the UK, 8 million women and 6.5 million men suffer from hair loss.⁵
• In the Czech Republic, almost 43% of men go bald.¹⁸
• Genetic lineage affects hair loss. In order of prevalence, AGA is most common among people of Caucasian, Asian, African, Native American, and Eskimo heritage.⁵

Treatment and recovery of hair loss: Facts and statistics

Losing our hair is a very personal experience. Yet we have at least one thing in common: most of us will jump through hoops to prevent it, slow it down, reverse it, or hide it. Consider that:

• Consumer research predicts that global revenue in the hair loss products category will reach $16.72 billion by 2030.¹⁹
• By 2024, close to 13 million Americans used hair growth products.⁵ In China, sales are skyrocketing for hair loss shampoos: increasing almost 400% during the measured period.⁵
• In the United States alone, women with hair loss report being willing to spend up to $5,000 on hair loss treatment. Also, women are more open to spending more money on hair transplant than men.²⁰
• The price of a hair transplant procedure varies greatly from country to country. The most expensive is Canada, where you’ll spend $17,500 USD; the cheapest is Turkey, where you’ll spend $2,676.⁵
• One in 13 men report having undergone a hair transplant.⁵ Despite their will, fewer than 5% of women are good candidates due to genetic changes in the scalp.¹⁵

To learn more about reliable popular hair loss treatment options, read our Hims hair loss review.

Hair Loss and Psychosocial Impacts: Facts and Statistics

Losing our hair is stressful. And stress can both trigger new hair loss (especially TE) and worsen existing forms of it. This can create a vicious cycle that is difficult to break. Regardless of the original cause, hair loss affects our mental health and well-being. To know:

• Studies suggest that psychiatric disorders including anxiety, social phobia and major depression are more prevalent in people with hair loss than in those without.²¹
• For women, the psychological effects of hair loss run deep—and can damage their personal relationships, professional pursuits, and sense of self-worth.2 Almost 30% of women with hair loss show two signs of depression.⁵
• Men’s self-esteem is also affected by hair loss. To compensate, 26% report growing out their facial hair. Almost as many (22%) are stepping up their exercise routines. And 16% get tattoos.⁵
• Compared to other age groups, men aged 45-54 are more likely to shave their heads in response to losing their hair.⁵
• From Jada Pinkett-Smith to Ricki Lake, Ted Danson to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and a handful of others, celebrities are shattering taboos surrounding hair loss. By acknowledging and bravely sharing their experiences, they help the rest of us feel a little better about our own.

Sources

1. American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. Androgenetic alopecia. Available on the Internet at https://www.aocd.org/page/AndrogeneticAlopecia

2. American Hair Loss Association. Women’s hair loss. Available on the Internet at https://www.americanhairloss.org/womens-hair-loss/

3. American Academy of Dermatology Association. Hair Loss: Overview. Available on the Internet at https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/causes/fall-out

4. American Academy of Dermatology Association. Hair Loss: Who Gets and Causes. Available on the Internet at https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/causes/18-causes

5. Luat Duong. All 159 hair loss statistics for 2025 for journalists. Scandinavian Biolabs. 4 Jan 2025. Found on the web at https://scandinavianbiolabs.com/blogs/journal/hair-loss-statistics

6. Mordor Intelligence. Hair Loss Treatment Products Market Size – Industry Report on Share, Growth Trends and Forecasts (2025-2030). Available on the web at https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/hair-loss-treatment-products-market

7. Alessia Villani. Hair aging and hair disorders in elderly patients. International Journal of Trichology. Nov-Dec 2022. Found online at https://journals.lww.com/ijot/fulltext/2022/14060/hair_aging_and_hair_disorders_in_elderly_patients.1.aspx

8. Barbie Cervoni, RD. Could hair loss be a symptom of diabetes? Very good health. May 19, 2023. Found on the web at https://www.verywellhealth.com/diabetes-hair-loss-5111927

9. Mayo Clinic. Type 2 diabetes. Found on the web at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193

10. Stephanie Watson. Medicines that can cause hair loss. September 18, 2024. Found on the web at https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/drug-induced-hair-loss-2

11. Aimra Kassis et al. Nutrition and lifestyle management of the aging journey: A narrative review. Limits in nutrition. 23 Jan. 2023. Found on the web at https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.1087505/full

12. Kelly Burch. How vitamin deficiency causes hair loss. 22 Mar 2025. Found on the web at https://www.verywellhealth.com/which-vitamin-deficiency-causes-hair-loss-8404859#

13. Cleveland Clinic. Low protein content in the blood (hypoproteinaemia). Available online at https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/low-protein-in-blood-hypoproteinemia

14. Rachel Ann Tee-Melegrito. Can stress cause hair loss? Medical News Today. 17 May 2023. Found on the web at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/can-stress-cause-hair-loss

15. American Hair Loss Association. Women’s hair loss causes. Available on the Internet at https://www.americanhairloss.org/womens-hair-loss/causes/

16. American Hair Loss Association. Male hair loss. Available on the Internet at https://www.americanhairloss.org/mens-hair-loss/

17. Lü Yanhao. Over 250 million Chinese suffer from hair loss problems. Global Times. August 27, 2019. Found on the Internet at https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1162854.shtml

18. Miriam Otero. 102 hair loss statistics, expert insights and current trends. Anagen Hair & Skin. March 26, 2024. Found on the web at https://hairskin.com/da/blog/hair-loss-statistics/

19. Emergen Research. Alopecia Market by Type, by Treatment, by Allocation (Male and Female), by Route of Administration (Topical, Oral and Injectable), by Distribution Channel, by End-Use and by Region Forecast to 2030. December 2022. Available online at https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry_source-report/?

20. Leonard Knoedler, MD et al. Hair transplantation in the United States: A population-based study of baldness in women and men. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery-Global Open. November 2023. Found on the Internet at https://journals.lww.com/prsgo/fulltext/2023/11000/hair_transplantation_in_the_united_states__a.21.aspx

21. Dr. Khawar Hussain et al. Psychological effects of hair loss. DermNet. April 2019. Found on the web at https://dermnetnz.org/topics/psychological-effects-of-hair-loss