Whilst male pattern baldness is seen as a problem for a large proportion of sufferers, scientists in the US have found that a receding hairline may actually be a positive sign of good health.

The shock finding has been born out of a recent study. It found that men who go bald by age 30 are less likely to suffer with serious diseases such as prostate cancer in later life. Experts from the University Of Washington School Of Medicine looked at 2,000 men aged 40-47.

The study

As a result of the study, they were able to determine that there is definitive link between high levels of testosterone and subsequent early hair fall, with a lower risk of suffering with prostate cancer in adulthood.

The findings were published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology. Around 50% of the men who were studied were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Experts then compared the rate of those suffering with serious tumours and hair loss by the age of 30, with those who had not experienced any form of hair loss.

Those who had noticed bald spots on the top of their heads, as well as receding hairlines were said to have had a 29% to 45% decrease in the risk of prostate cancer.

The facts

Figures show that by the age of 30 years old, around 25-30% of the male population will have suffered some degree of baldness. Around 50% of men experience severe hair loss by age 50.