Scientists have created a pioneering computer programme that promises to predict men's hair loss, a development that will bring some cheers to those anxious about their receding hairline.

Devised by German scientists, the baldness calculator promises to predict the exact age at which a person will go bald or have lost most of their hair or provides reassurance by predicting that they will still have a full head of hair in old age.

The male baldness calculator will come as a relief for those with receding hairline, particularly young men at the peak of their social lives, said Dr Adolf Klenk, head of research and development at hair care firm Dr Kurt Wolff.

Male pattern is characterized by hair receding from the lateral sides of the forehead, known as "receding hairline". Receding hairlines are usually seen in males above the ages of 20 but can be seen as early as late teens as well.

"We have developed the male baldness calculator to raise awareness among men," he was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

According to the report in the British daily, the programme asks users about their age, marital status, occupation, where they live, what their current hairline is, hair loss in their family and their stress levels.

"Genetic predisposition is by far the most common cause of baldness. But other factors include severe, long-term emotional stress, perhaps associated with a divorce or the loss of a close relative," said Dr Klenk. However, some scientists advice caution, saying it preys on the nearly universal fear among men that they'll go bald.