Hair loss statistics 2026: male and female pattern hair loss, finasteride, minoxidil and spending

men in the United States are estimated to have androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss)¹

women in the United States are estimated to have androgenetic alopecia (female pattern hair loss)¹

of men over age 50 have some degree of hair loss¹

estimated lifetime risk of alopecia areata, an autoimmune form of patchy hair loss²

Population-based study in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1975-1989.

person-years was the incidence of alopecia areata, with similar rates in both sexes and across ages²

About 7% of cases were estimated to evolve into severe, chronic hair loss.

of men aged 18 to 49 had moderate to extensive hair loss (Norwood type III or greater)³

Community-based sample of healthy men assessed by a trained observer.

of men aged 18 to 29 had moderate to extensive hair loss³

of men aged 40 to 49 had moderate to extensive hair loss³

of men aged 18 to 49 had predominantly frontal baldness³

of men aged 80 and over had mid-frontal hair loss⁴

Population study in Maryborough, Victoria, Australia.

of women under 50 were diagnosed with female pattern hair loss⁵

377 women attending a general dermatology clinic for complaints unrelated to hair.

of women aged 70 and over were diagnosed with female pattern hair loss⁵

of women aged 80 and over had mid-frontal hair loss⁴

Population study in Maryborough, Victoria, Australia; 64.4% of women overall had bitemporal hair loss.

increase in female hair restoration surgical patients treated by ISHRS members in 2024 compared with 2021⁶

of surgical hair restoration patients treated by ISHRS members in 2021 were women⁷

87.3% were men.

is the year the FDA approved Propecia (finasteride 1 mg) for male pattern hair loss⁸

Original approval dated December 19, 1997. Proscar (finasteride 5 mg) was approved in 1992 for enlarged prostate.

more than placebo in a 1-inch diameter area of balding scalp after 2 years of finasteride 1 mg a day⁹

Two 1-year trials of 1,553 men aged 18 to 41 with 1-year extensions; the difference was 107 hairs at 1 year, from a baseline of 876 hairs. Men on placebo had progressive hair loss.

more hair regrowth with 5% topical minoxidil than with 2% topical minoxidil after 48 weeks¹⁰

Randomized trial of 393 men aged 18 to 49.

estimated US prescriptions for finasteride in 2024, for an estimated 2,506,404 patients¹¹

Derived from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey; includes finasteride prescribed for enlarged prostate as well as hair loss.

weekly first-time oral minoxidil prescriptions per 10,000 outpatient encounters in the 8 weeks after vs before an August 18, 2022 New York Times article on low-dose oral minoxidil¹²

Among males the rate rose 2.4-fold (1.1 vs 0.5); among females 1.7-fold. Truveta EHR data on 6,541 first-time users.

of surveyed US dermatology practitioners supported using oral minoxidil for androgenetic alopecia¹³

201 respondents; 83% found oral minoxidil better than the topical form.

was the total worldwide market for hair restoration surgery in 2021⁷

nonsurgical hair loss patients sought treatment in 2021 according to the ISHRS practice census, up 14% from 2019, vs 628,604 surgical patients⁷

The three most commonly prescribed nonsurgical treatments were oral finasteride, topical minoxidil and platelet-rich plasma.

average out-of-pocket cost per finasteride prescription in the US in 2024¹¹

Average total drug cost was $25.13 per prescription ($0.37 per day of therapy).

increase in nonsurgical hair loss patients treated by ISHRS members since 2021¹⁴

From the ISHRS 2025 Practice Census covering 2024.

average annual out-of-pocket healthcare costs for US adults with alopecia totalis or universalis vs matched controls¹⁵

Commercial and Medicare Supplemental claims, 2018 US dollars; total annual medical and pharmacy costs were $18,988 vs $11,030.

reporting odds ratio for suicidality among finasteride users in the WHO global adverse event database¹⁶

Pharmacovigilance study of VigiBase with 356 suicidality reports; the signal was stronger in patients 45 or younger (3.47) and in those treated for hair loss (2.06), and reports rose after 2012, suggesting possible stimulated reporting.

cases involving compounded topical finasteride were reported to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System between 2019 and 2024¹⁷

FDA alert page current as of April 22, 2025. Reported events resembled those seen with oral finasteride.

of the topical finasteride products on the market are FDA-approved, alone or in combination with other ingredients¹⁷

reporting odds ratio for psychological adverse events such as depression and anxiety among finasteride users¹⁶

2,926 reports of psychological adverse events in VigiBase.