Men shouldn’t have to struggle with a receding hairline. From medical treatments to good hair care products to proper diet and exercise, there are many ways to stop and regrow a receding hairline. Alternatively, guys can even choose some of the easy and fast options by changing their hairstyle to cover up thinning areas. If you’re looking to fix your hairline and get thicker hair for a fuller look, check out this guide on preventing hair loss and regrowing your hairline.
What Is A Receding Hairline?
Few things give men more anxiety about their appearance than the prospect of losing their hair. But it’s an unfortunate reality that many men will find themselves with a receding hairline. It doesn’t just happen with older men, either.
Most men will see the first signs of hair thinning when they’re in their fifties, forties, thirties, or even in their twenties. Two-thirds of American men will have some degree of visible hair loss by the time they turn 35.
A receding hairline specifically refers to hair that is thinning or falling out from the crown or front of your head. Many factors can cause a receding hairline.
Why Is My Hairline Receding?
The good news is that a receding hairline doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll lose your hair. It’s also possible to slow down progress on a hairline that has begun receding and prevent further hair loss.
Hairlines can recede due to a wide variety of factors, including health issues and even genetic predisposition. Factors like heredity, poor diet, and stress levels can have negative effects on your hairline.
Knowing what issues you may be contending with will help you determine your best course of action in correcting your receding hairline. Ultimately, there is a lot to research on the topic.
How To Tell If Your Hairline Is Receding
A receding hairline can creep up on you over time. You may not be sure right away if your hairline has evolved that much. After all, when your hair thins out gradually, it’s easy to escape your attention.
If you’re worried your hairline may be receding or if you have a family history of male pattern baldness, try running your hands through your hair gently to see if hair pulls out gently.
You can also compare your hairline to old photos and see if your hairline is more visible than it used to be.
Causes and Treatment Options
Hair Care
Before you adjust your diet or try block DHT buildup in your scalp, you may want to improve your hair care routine. Certain habits and products can be hard on hairlines. While tight hairstyles like cornrows and braiding are protective for certain hair types, overreliance on them can cause traction alopecia. This form of hair loss is caused by the constant pulling of tight hairstyles. It can be caught and reversed, though.
If you have historically relied on inexpensive drugstore shampoos and conditioners, begin investing in better products. Reach for gentle shampoos that won’t strip the oil from your scalp, and get a separate conditioner for deep conditioning.
According to Men’s Hairstyles Now, much of the same hair products for men that are good at moisturizing, conditioning and strengthening curly hair can be used on guys who are balding. This is because men with curly hair need good hair care and styling products or their curls are prone to drying out and becoming frizzy.
Chemicals and heat can also have adverse effects on hairlines. If you color your hair, the bleach and peroxide used in many formulas are extremely damaging to hair. Blow drying hair also makes it brittle and breakable, and the heat can result in your strands falling out. If you dye your hair, look for gentle, moisturizing formulas, and switch to letting hair air dry instead.
Receding Hairline Hairstyles
It’s important to get the right haircuts. Changing up your hairstyle can make bald spots and thinning hair less noticeable. That doesn’t mean you should opt for a comb over as this look can draw attention to bad areas.
If you already wear your hair on the shorter side, switching to a buzz cut will make thinning hair less noticeable. It also won’t look like you’re trying to hide a receding hairline. It will just look like a style change. The same can’t be said for a shaved head.
If your hair is still thick on top but thinning at the temples, you can try a French crop or a Caesar-style haircut. Thinning hair around the temples can also be disguised with a faux hawk if you’re able to pull off an edgier style or a regulation cut if you need to stay more clean-cut.
Genetics
Approximately 95% of hair loss in men can be attributed to hereditary male pattern baldness. Male pattern baldness is caused by a combination of genetics and hormones. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an androgenic hormone created as a byproduct of testosterone, the primary male sex hormone. DHT shrinks hair follicles and over time causes hair to stop growing at all.
People who are overly reactive to DHT tend to lose their hair at a fast rate and start balding at a relatively young age. If you believe DHT is contributing to your receding hairline, it’s imperative to get out ahead of it to stop your hairline from receding even more.
Medication
There are several FDA-approved treatments formulated to fight back against DHT. Minoxidil is available in topical spray and foam formats.
It’s designed to provide more oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles, turning your head into a more hospitable environment for hair to grow in. Minoxidil can encourage hair to regrow.
Finasteride is a daily pill that prevents testosterone from converting into DHT. Finasteride not only blocks further hair loss in about 86% of the men who use it, but this medication can also result in some regrowth.
There are also some topical DHT blockers and shampoos on the market. While they aren’t known to be as effective as Minoxidil and Finasteride, they may help prevent any remaining DHT from binding to scalp receptors and accelerating hair loss.
They don’t do much on their own but can provide a great boost to more scientifically-backed products.
Diet and Nutrition
Male pattern baldness can’t be cured with vitamins and minerals, but a lack of proper nutrition is a known cause of hair loss. Next time you have a physical, a routine blood test can make sure you aren’t lacking certain nutrients.
If you’re low on things like iron, zinc, fatty acids, biotin and vitamins A, C, D, E, you may start to lose hair or notice that it breaks easily. Make sure you’re eating a rich and varied diet of nutritious food, and consider adding a multivitamin to your daily routine.
Alternative Treatments
There are some holistic treatments thought to help combat hair loss as well. Supplements like gooseberry, aloe vera, ginseng, and Chinese hibiscus have all been used in hair loss treatments for many years.
Essential oils like rosemary, peppermint and lavender may also help with receding hairlines. Mix them with a carrier oil like almond or coconut oil and apply them to the scalp for a soothing deep-conditioning treatment.
