Young and (almost) bald: true or false?

Updated 17 July 2025

ARE MEN GOING BALD EARLIER THAN THEY USED TO? 

You might wonder, given the number of publications on premature baldness, hair loss and treatments to stimulate regrowth or limit hair loss. At Clauderer, we are indeed seeing an increase in the number of hair diagnostics carried out by young men in their 20s and 25s, worried about seeing their skulls gradually receding.

When you consider that in France around half of all men aged 50 and over will experience significant hair loss, it's normal to wonder at what age men start to lose their hair and when the first signs of baldness may appear. 

More specifically, according to an international study, 42 % of men aged between 18 and 49 will be affected by moderate to intensive alopecia, and 16% of 18-29 year-olds. For the latter, who notice the early signs of baldness such as :

• loss of capillary density, 
• areas that become bald, sparser in the gulfs or the tonsure 
• gradual retreat of the front line, 
• thinning hair 
• massive hair loss (more than 100 hairs fall out every day) prolonged

This is a sign that baldness has already begun and that you need to act quickly.

Baldness is a widespread phenomenon in the male population, and some men cope with it better than others. So does hair loss or alopecia occur earlier now than it did 20 or 30 years ago? Can teenagers already be affected by baldness? Clauderer takes a look at hair loss in young men. How can you tell whether or not you're dealing with abnormal hair loss?

YOUNG AND BALD: IS IT REALLY ALL IN YOUR HEAD?

These days, whether you're a man or a woman, and whatever your age, the injunctions to present the best possible self-image are everywhere.

In reality, whatever the calls for "body positivity", the trend towards accepting oneself as you are is still in the minority. Just take a look at the images from the women's and men's fashion shows: where are the bald men? 

Socio-cultural stereotypes die hard, and dense, grey-free male hair is still synonymous with power, virility and seduction.

So, in both the social and professional spheres, for a young man, seeing his head receding while he is just entering working life can generate stress and loss of self-confidence. In this case, the slightest hair loss is synonymous with anxiety, whether it's a natural hair at the end of its life or a hair that has fallen prematurely as part of early alopecia. 

Whatever the cause, hair loss is not something to be taken lightly. Whether it's natural renewal or the onset of baldness, it's never too early to take care of your hair, slow down its loss and adopt a hair routine that will help you keep your hair looking beautiful for as long as possible.

BALD YOUNGER: WHAT THE FACTS SAY

Androgenetic alopecia is responsible for male pattern baldness in 95 % of cases. Androgenetic alopecia: results from a genetic predisposition of hair follicles to the harmful effects of male hormones, androgens. More specifically, androgens are transformed into a new hormone, DHT or dehydrotestosterone, after being synthesised by an enzyme, 5 alpha-reductase. The result is an accelerated ageing of the hair cycle which, if nothing is done, leads to increasingly sparse and even totally hairless areas on the crown of the head.

So, when you compare these statistics with the age of the first generations born when the internet and social networks became commonplace (starting with the Millenials of generation Y, from 1980 to the mid-1990s), it's not necessarily surprising to see an upsurge in questions about baldness on the internet (blogs, dedicated forums, Instagram accounts, etc.) from these thirty-somethings and over who are distraught about their incipient baldness. Very soon, they become aware that "something's not right" and ask themselves or their peers on the networks how to slow down hair loss, stimulate regrowth and, more generally, how to have beautiful hair.

In addition to the hereditary factor, there are a number of aggravating factors that can exacerbate baldness in men of all ages. The causes of hair loss are multi-factorial.

Stress and baldness 

Stress is one of the known and recognised causes associated with baldness. Why is this? Studies have shown the link between cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and hair loss. And yet, research conducted in the United States by the APA American Psychological Association establishes a link between age and stress. More specifically, the younger generations, i.e. the 'X' and 'Y' generations, seem to experience stress more acutely than their elders. They feel easily isolated and alone, and seem to have difficulty coping with the ups and downs of everyday life. In other words, the younger generations stress more, earlier.

And it all comes full circle when the stress of seeing your hair fall out increases your general level of anxiety, leading to even more massive hair loss!

Diet and baldness

Another factor aggravating premature hair loss is diet. Hair is alive and, as such, needs nutrients to live and grow properly, and a lack of minerals (iron) and vitamins (B group vitamins, vitamin D, etc.) will not only affect the body but also the growth of healthy hair.

The frequent use of ultra-processed foods can lead to deficiencies in good-quality nutrients and excesses of foods that are harmful when consumed in excess: sugars, fats, etc. At the other end of the spectrum, choosing a more responsible diet that may exclude proteins too strictly can also have an impact on healthy hair growth. This study from 2018 concluded that insufficient protein consumption combined with zinc and vitamin D deficiencies could have a negative impact on hair growth.

Today, young men tend to lose their hair earlier, the fault of external aggravating factors such as increased stress and/or a poor quality diet that can generate an iron deficiency and accelerate hair loss. When this is combined with hereditary hair loss or androgenetic alopecia, excessive hair loss needs to be curbed as soon as possible. 

Ultimately, early awareness of alopecia is a positive thing: the earlier you combat hair loss, the faster and more effectively you can halt it. There's never just one cause of a problem, and baldness is no exception. Whether real or perceived, hair loss in young men is not anecdotal: solutions exist to restore confidence to all those who want their image to reflect the best of themselves. 

Before considering a transplant and other invasive hair restoration methods, the Clauderer Specialists know how to offer effective, pain-free and non-invasive natural hair loss treatments. Book an appointment now!