Developed in 1977, the Ludwig Scale is one of two charts used to measure female pattern hair loss (FPH). This system classifies FPH according to its severity, and is good for:
According to the Ludwig Scale, there are three stages of FPH:
No, absolutely not. Despite their names, either gender can develop MPH or FPH. While more women develop FPH than males, the Ludwig Scale is developed for both genders. Therefore, if a male were to experience FPH, this chart would equally apply to him as well.
Stage three FPH only happens to less than one percent of all women, according to a 2007 study. However, the same study reveals that 12% of all women will experience FPH between the ages of 20-29. Furthermore, over 50% of all women will experience some degree of FPH by the time they reach 80. Overall, while fewer than 45% of women retain a full head of hair throughout their life, most will never reach the third stage of FPH, according to the Ludwig Scale.
The Savin Scale is the second most popular chartering system for FPH. The Savin Scale and the Ludwig Scale are extremely similar. The main difference between the two is the final panel of the Savin Scale, which depicts “frontally accentuated” FPH. This is where the hair loss concentrates at the center of the anterior scalp instead of the crown region and temporal vertex regions. Since this is a rarer form of FPH, the Ludwig Scale excludes it.