The Ludwig scale is the three-stage map dermatologists use to describe female pattern hair loss. Unlike the male Norwood pattern, women typically thin diffusely on the top of the scalp while keeping the frontal hairline. Find your stage below.
Early female pattern hair loss. Hair on the top of the scalp becomes slightly thinner, but the frontal hairline is preserved. The widening is subtle and often only visible to the person whose hair it is.
The central part widens further and the scalp becomes visibly more exposed in good lighting. Total hair volume is reduced enough to change how a ponytail feels and how the hair falls. The frontal hairline remains preserved in classic Ludwig pattern.
Pronounced thinning across the entire top of the scalp. The scalp is clearly visible. Hair on the top is fine and miniaturized. The frontal hairline is usually still preserved, but a Christmas-tree pattern of recession at the very front may appear in some women.
Diffuse shedding in women is not always androgenetic. Before assuming Ludwig pattern, rule out these reversible causes with a primary care visit.
Three to six months after delivery, a large fraction of hair enters the resting phase and sheds together. It is dramatic, frightening, and almost always reversible. Track the timeline rather than panicking at the peak.
Low ferritin (below ~40 ng/mL for many women) and untreated hypothyroidism are two of the most overlooked drivers of diffuse shedding. A simple panel from your GP is worth more than any shampoo.
Rapid caloric deficit, post-bariatric recovery, and undereating during illness can all push hair into the telogen phase. Hair tells you, six months later, what your last spring looked like.
Some women experience increased shedding three to six months after discontinuing certain combined pills. The pattern usually stabilizes within a year, with or without intervention.
Folicle was built with diffuse female pattern shedding in mind. Free to start.