For anyone watching a hairline
Is it actually receding?
Four photos a month, the same way every time. An honest Norwood or Ludwig range, a coverage score for each zone, and a month-to-month comparison that says whether anything is moving. Read the trend, not the mirror.
Free toolsNo sign-upMen and womenSources on every page
- Front
- Left
- Right
- Crown
Medium confidence. Mature hairline, crown full.
- Front hairline84same
- Left temple77same
- Right temple79same
- Crown92same
Nothing in these photos points to a change. Keep the monthly habit so there is always a baseline.
Early signs, or a stage worth a photo every month. The 3-month comparison says more than any single check-in.
Something has moved since an earlier check-in, in the same zone, in photos that line up. Book a dermatologist in the next few weeks.
Patchy loss, an inflamed scalp or sudden heavy shedding. A pattern that needs a dermatologist this week, not another photo.
Free tools
Four free tools for the bathroom-mirror question
The same scales, zones and verdicts the StrandScout app uses, written out so you can check by eye tonight. Every result links the guide that explains it.
Start hereNorwood scale checker
Nine diagrams seen from above, from a full hairline to the horseshoe. Pick the one that matches you and read the stage, what you see, and what to watch. Ludwig scale for women.
Find your stage
2 minutesMature or receding hairline?
Seven questions about the corners, the edge hairs, the crown and whether it is still moving. Ends in Looks stable, Keep watching or Changing, with the reasons.
Take the check
SheddingHair shedding calculator
Count what came out in the shower or the brush and see where it sits against the normal 50 to 100 hairs a day, allowing for wash days and long hair.
Check your count
MethodHairline photo guide
The four angles clinics use, and the checklist that makes photos months apart compare fairly: same light, same distance, same hair.
Learn the four anglesHow the app works
Four photos a month. One honest read.
- 1
Take the four photos
Front, left temple, right temple and crown, from the camera or your library. A faint ghost of last month's photo sits over the camera so the angle matches.
- 2
Add what you noticed
Shedding lately: about normal, a bit more, or much more. Whether it started suddenly. What you already use, as generic names only.
- 3
Get the read
A Norwood or Ludwig stage as a range with a confidence level, a coverage score for each of five zones, the findings the AI can actually see, and one of four verdicts.
- 4
Compare month to month
Every check-in stays on your phone. Compare any two months, read the 3-month trend, and bring a one-page PDF to a dermatologist.
What the read looks at
Five zones, one honest range
The read scores each zone from 0 to 100 and compares it with your earlier photos. Direction over 3 months matters more than any single number.
Front hairline
Where hair starts across the forehead. In men it is one of the two places pattern loss shows first; in women it usually keeps its shape.
Left and right temples
The corners above the outer eyebrows. They usually recede first, and comparing the two sides separates recession from a cowlick or a parting.
Mid scalp the part
Where female pattern loss shows first, as a widening part. In men it is the bridge that thins between front and crown.
Crown the one you cannot see
The swirl at the back of the top. Often missed for years because no mirror shows it, which is why the crown photo is worth the hassle.
The 3-month trend what actually matters
One month is lighting, a haircut or wet hair. The same direction for 3 months, or a full stage up against your baseline, is a change.
From the guides
Plain answers for the 11pm search
Every guide ends the same way: what it can mean, what to watch over 3 months, and when it is a dermatologist visit.
The first guides go live on October 19, 2026, starting with The Norwood Scale: All 7 Stages Explained, Am I Balding? 9 Signs and How to Check, Is My Hairline Receding? How to Tell.
The honest bit
StrandScout is not a doctor. StrandScout gives an AI estimate from photos, not a diagnosis. The checker, the quiz, the calculator and the app give general information from what a photo can show and what you tell us, and they can be wrong. A photo cannot see miniaturized hairs the way a dermatologist's magnifier can, it cannot tell shedding from pattern loss on its own, and it cannot see a thyroid or iron problem. Every page names its medical sources, we never invent ratings or user counts, we never name a drug brand or a dose, and every page ends with the same question answered plainly: when should I see a dermatologist?
Questions
Good questions, straight answers
Is my hairline receding or just maturing?
Most men's hairlines move up a little between about 17 and 30, with rounded, matching corners, and then stay put. That is a mature hairline, and it reads as Norwood 2. Recession keeps going: the corners pull back into deeper triangles, the edge hairs turn finer and shorter, and 3-month-old photos show movement. The mature or receding check walks through the signs.
What is the Norwood scale?
A set of drawings dermatologists use to describe how male pattern hair loss usually spreads, from stage 1 (no recession) to stage 7 (a horseshoe of hair around the sides and back). A stage describes where you are today, not how far you will go. The Norwood scale checker shows all nine diagrams, including 2A and 3V.
What scale does the app use for women?
The Ludwig scale, three grades of thinning over the top of the head while the front hairline keeps its shape. The part line is the clue: grade I is a slightly wider part, grade II is obvious thinning on top, grade III is very sparse hair on top with a rim at the front. Switch the checker to Ludwig to see them.
How much hair loss is normal in a day?
Shedding 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal, and more on wash days if you wash less often. Long hair looks like far more in the drain than short hair. The shedding calculator turns a wash-day count into a per-day estimate and says when shedding has gone on long enough to book a dermatologist.
Is a StrandScout read a diagnosis?
No. StrandScout gives an AI estimate from photos, not a diagnosis. It cannot confirm a cause, see miniaturized hairs the way a magnifier can, or tell shedding from pattern loss on one photo. It is a consistent pair of eyes that remembers what your head looked like 3 and 6 months ago. A dermatologist can confirm what it suggests.
Is StrandScout free?
The checker, the quiz, the calculator, the photo guide and every guide on this site are free with no account. The app is free for 2 check-ins (a baseline and one comparison), the timeline and the full guide. StrandScout Pro adds unlimited monthly check-ins, coverage trends, compare any two months and the dermatologist PDF.
What happens to my photos in the app?
Your photos are sent to Google Gemini, an AI service, only to be read, and are not stored on our servers. Your timeline, photos and results stay on your phone. There is no account and no login, and you can delete everything from the app at any time.