Last Updated on May 10, 2020 by Robert Price

Okay, I’ll shoot straight with you.

If you have a Norwood 4 hairline, you’re most definitely balding; but on the bright side, you’re not bald yet!

In other words, you still have time to do something about your hair loss, but the window is closing!

This post will offer you everything you need to know about living a full life as a Norwood 4. I’ll review what constitutes a Norwood 4 hairline, review your treatment options and your style options, and much more. I’ll also give you the good news and the bad news, my balding friend, with no sugarcoating whatsoever.

Okay, here we go.

Norwood 4 Hairline Classification

Norwood 4 indicates significant hair loss at the temples. Often, a small mass of hair will stay in the middle and become surrounded by a bald “ocean” of sorts. Norwood 4 is the stage of hair loss when a prominent bald or thinning spot often becomes noticeable on the vertex.

It goes beyond a Norwood 3, receding hairline.

I call Norwood  class 4 the “mid-life crisis hairline” because it represents the mid-way point between a Norwood 1.5-2 Mature hairline and a Norwood 6/7 Dr. Phil Hairline.

It’s the “stuck-in-the-middle-with-MPB” hairline, so to speak.

It’s a follicular purgatory of sorts.

Moving on…

The Good News

• It’s Treatable – As I said, Norwood 4 can usually be managed with medications like finasteride and minoxidil, along with ancillary treatments such as laser therapy.
• Enough Coverage for a Transplant- If you elect to have a hair transplant, you probably still have enough coverage to achieve good results. More on that momentarily!
• Your Hairline that Hasn’t Flat-lined – Your hairline hasn’t totally retreated on you yet. This is helpful if you’re looking to simply shave your head, as a stubble buzz cut is often a great style choice for balding men.
• More Stylistic Options Available – You can still rock a variety of cool hairstyles with a Norwood 4, from comb overs to messy crew cuts. These styles probably wouldn’t be options for you if you were a full Norwood 5, by the way. Check out my post detailing the top receding hairline styles for more info.
• You’re Not Bald…Yet! As a Norwood 4, you’re not a full-on member of the bald community yet, which definitely comes with some advantages. You can downplay your hairline and, if you use the right products, maybe even create the illusion of a full head of hair.

The Bad News

• You’ve Lost a Lot of Hair – Norwood class 4 indicates fairly significant hair loss; it’s going beyond a simple receding hairline and into “balding” territory, there’s no question about that.
• Multiple Transplants May be Needed – If you opt to get your hair loss “fixed,” there’s a pretty high likelihood you’ll need multiple hair transplants in order to achieve your desired result. That could mean 1+ years of awkward, post-transplant growth which could be undesirable or impractical for you.
• You’re Running out of Time and Hair! – It’s important to take action and begin a hair loss treatment course ASAP, assuming you don’t want to go bald.
• More Maintenance – You definitely still have options stylistically, but they’re probably going to require a fair amount of upkeep. You’ll also need to be more selective when it comes to shampoos, conditioners, etc. And, you may want to consider adding a hair loss concealer to your morning routine.

The Top 4 Norwood 4 Hair Loss Treatments

1. Finasteride (Propecia)

Finasteride is recognized almost universally as the most effective hair loss treatment on the market today. It can help slow, stop, and even partially reverse hair loss. It’s most effective in younger men (30 and younger) but can help mitigate the balding process in older men as well.

It comes with risks and benefits, undoubtedly. I probably wouldn’t take Propecia due to the potential of side effects and the fact that it’s a lifelong commitment, but that’s me.

On the other hand, as I’ve stated in previous articles, I recognize that there are many reasons to give Propecia a chance, with an open mind, especially if you’re a younger man suffering from an aggressive case of early-onset hair loss.

For more information, check out my in-depth and unbiased finasteride review.

2. Minoxidil (Rogaine)

Minoxidil may also help you manage your hair loss, especially in the crown area. Minoxidil is far from a miracle hair loss remedy, but it does extend the hair growth cycle in the majority of men (roughly 80%) and can therefore decelerate male pattern baldness, AKA androgenic alopecia.

Does minoxidil work as well as finasteride?

No, definitely not.

And it works best when men are in the early stages of hair loss. And sorry, Norwood type 4 is not an early stage of hair loss! But it may help you hang onto your hair, and it’s probably worth a try.

3. Laser Therapy

In a previous post, I dubbed laser therapy as the “why not” hair loss treatment.

Is it going to lead to tremendous regrowth or life-changing results?

It’s unlikely, and it may not help your follicular cause at all. But laser therapy has been shown, through at least 4 scientific studies, to increase hair counts and promote some regrowth in people experiencing pattern hair loss.

For those interested, my in-depth review of laser therapy for hair loss has more information.

4. PRP

PRP is a relatively new and promising, albeit not totally proven, treatment option for androgenic alopecia.

Providers across the country are jumping on the PRP bandwagon, which is a bit disconcerting, as PRP is a treatment without a standardized protocol. Results vary, widely, and are operator-dependent, but some patients have achieved nice regrowth with PRP. Results typically last anywhere from a few months to a year. So it’s not a permanent solution, and it’s expensive, as I note in my article reviewing PRP for hair loss.

Norwood 4 Hair Transplantation Prognosis

Norwood 4s often make great candidates for hair transplantation procedures. However, I’ve warned you multiple times that there’s a good chance you’ll need multiple surgeries in order to get a “full” final result.

Sorry, I just don’t want you to be disappointed!

And growing your hair after a transplant can be awkward, especially for the first 4-5 months, so keep that in mind.

Also, there’s a high likelihood you’ll continue to lose hair in the areas surrounding your transplant, assuming you don’t get on an effective hair loss treatment program.

You can find out if you’re a good candidate for a hair transplant in this post.

Some Norwood 4 Inspiration

Elon Musk of Tesla fame, showing a Norwood 4 (maybe higher) hairline as a young man. Today, his hair looks fantastic!

Elon Musk is PROOF balding men can have it all: wealth, fame, celebrity girlfriends, and beautiful hair!

The Bottom Line

As a Norwood 4, you’re in a much more tenuous folicular situation than men with simple, Norwood 3 receding hairlines. But your hair loss is still, most likely, of the manageable variety. See a good doctor and get on a treatment plan, or embrace your hair loss! The choice is yours.

Robert Price

Robert Price is a writer, consumer advocate, and hair loss researcher with thousands of hours of experience in the field. His goal is to keep you out of the hair loss rabbit hole, underworld, or whatever you want to call it. He founded Hair Loss Daily, the unbiased hair loss blog, in 2016. You can learn more about Robert in the my story section of this website.