Everything You Need To Know About Receding Hairlines

Thin hair above the temples that forms an "M" or "V" shape is typically how you tell your hairline is receding. Other signs include thinning hair and a zigzag pattern along the hairline.

Aging, stress, and genetics are often to blame for a receding hairline. This form of hair loss happens when you lose hair along your entire hairline or the temples. People with androgenic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness) are most likely to deal with a receding hairline. Frontal fibrosing alopecia also causes progressive hair loss near the forehead.

A receding hairline at any age can be tough on your self-esteem, but there are some ways you can fix the look of it. If you catch hair loss in the early stages, it may also be possible to grow back your hair. Read on to learn how to tell if your hairline is receding and how to treat it.

How To Tell if Your Hairline Is Receding 

The main symptoms of a receding hairline are hair loss or thinning hair above the temples. A receding hairline can range from mild to severe, in which no hair is left on the top of your head. 

Various symptoms of a receding hairline include:

• A band of lighter skin above your forehead and temples where you've lost hair
• A red, yellow, or skin-colored rash along the hairline followed by hair loss
• Complete frontal baldness that moves toward the back of the scalp
• Complete hair loss or thin hair above temples that forms an "M" or "V" shape hairline
• Slight, uneven hair loss above your temples
• Thinning hair above your temples
• Zigzag pattern or balding patches along the hairline

Causes

A receding hairline can be caused by stress, genetics, and conditions that affect the hair follicles. Certain people may also be more prone to receding hairlines because of lifestyle choices or illness.

Androgenetic Alopecia

Both men and women can develop a receding hairline. It's more common in men with androgenetic alopecia, or male pattern baldness, especially if their father also had it.  

High dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels are another factor that leads to androgenetic alopecia and a receding hairline. DHT is a sex hormone derived from testosterone that can shrink hair follicles, shorten hair, and alter hair growth cycles. It's also linked to female pattern hair loss, but this form doesn't usually cause a receding hairline.  

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

Women with female-pattern hair loss don't usually have a receding hairline. Instead, they bald from the top of the scalp from a widening part or thinning. Postmenopausal people are more likely to experience receding hairlines from frontal fibrosing alopecia, a hair loss condition that causes scarring of the hair follicles.

Frontal fibrosing alopecia usually starts at the hairline before moving to the rest of the scalp. The exact cause is unknown. Genetics, hormone changes, inflammation, and a weak immune system may increase your risk.   

Stress, Illness, and Lifestyle

Other factors that can cause a receding hairline include:

• Cancer treatments: Radiation and chemotherapy can make hair fall out.
• Diets high in saturated fats: Weight gain from this lifestyle may induce stress that accelerates hair thinning.
• Scalp psoriasis: Plaques along the hairline can cause hair to fall out.
• Smoking: Research has shown that smoking cigarettes can alter the hair follicle growth cycle.
• Stress: Hair can start to thin or fall out in response to emotional stress, illness, surgery, or childbirth.
• Styling tools and chemicals: Too much heat from curling or straightening, as well as chemicals in coloring, perming, or relaxing treatments, can damage hair.
• Traction alopecia: Tight hairstyles like buns, ponytails, braids, and cornrows can pull out hair, damage hair follicles, and lead to permanent hair loss if not caught early.

Stages 

A dermatologist can often help you find treatments to help regrowth or prevent future hair loss. Male pattern hair loss usually happens around age 50, but some people can start losing their hair in their late teens and early twenties.

The various stages of a receding hairline involved in male pattern hair loss include:

• Hairline recedes: Slight hair loss or thinning starts right above your temples or entire hairline. 
• Hair loss spreads: Hair loss moves up the temples until the hairline resembles an "M," "U," or "V." 
• Balding on top of the head: Receding hairline joins balding on the top of the scalp, or the vertex. A large strip of hair will be between the hairline and the bald spot.
• Receding hairline and bald spot progress: More severe hair loss leaves a narrow strip of hair between the two balding areas. 
• Hairline recession and balding meet: Receding hairline and bald spot connect into one hairless area or form thin patches of hair on top of the head. 
• Frontal baldness: Your hairline is gone, and no hair is on top of your scalp. Only a "U" shaped strip of hair will remain around the sides of your head.

Frontal fibrosing alopecia typically starts two to 12 years after menopause, but it can affect people of any age or sex. Research has also found Black women aged 28 have developed the condition.

The stages of a receding hairline with frontal fibrosing alopecia can include:

• Itchy scalp: The scalp may start to itch or feel painful before hair loss occurs. 
• Hairline rash: You may develop red, yellow, or skin-colored bumps along the hairline. 
• Hairline recedes: Hair loss starts along the entire hairline, in the front, or above the temples.
• Hair loss spreads: Receding hairline moves backward, forming a zigzag or patches.
• Frontal baldness: Hair loss extends until no hair is on the front of the head. 
• Hair loss in other areas: Folks may also lose beard, eyebrow, arm, leg, and pubic hair.

Medical Treatments

This hair loss and thinning can be upsetting, no matter your age. Some management and treatment options may mask hair loss or help you grow hair in those sparse, balding spots. 

Corticosteroids 

Corticosteroids can reduce inflammation related to frontal fibrosing alopecia hair loss along the hairline. This may help hair grow and mitigate damage to the hair follicles. A healthcare provider will typically inject corticosteroid medication directly into your scalp. They may also prescribe a topical corticosteroid.

Finasteride

Finasteride is an oral medication that promotes hair growth by blocking DHT levels. Increased DHT is thought to prevent hair growth related to pattern hair loss in all genders.

Finasteride is also prescribed to help people with frontal fibrosing alopecia prevent future hair loss. A study published in 2015 found that 1 milligram (mg) of finasteride and 5% topical minoxidil can improve hair regrowth. Some people may experience decreased libido (sex drive) and sexual dysfunction from oral finasteride. 

Finasteride is also combined with minoxidil for topical hair loss treatments. A small study published in 2015 of 50 men in India found that topical 0.1% finasteride and 5% minoxidil also helped improve hair density. 

Hair Transplant

A hair transplant surgically moves hair follicles from the back or side of your head to bald spots. This surgery can improve receding hairlines related to male pattern hair loss. The transplanted hair usually falls out and begins regrowing after surgery.  

Healthcare providers used to use what's known as "hair plugs," or round plugs taken from the back of the head, and place them in balding areas. A technique called follicular unit excision (FUE) has largely replaced hair plugs. FUE uses follicles instead of plugs.

Laser Therapy

Laser therapy, or low-level light therapy (LLLT), uses lasers to stimulate cell growth in the hair follicles and move them into the phase where hair is pushed out. This treatment may be helpful for people with hereditary hair loss, those who've had a hair transplant, or those who have hair loss after chemotherapy.

Clinical trials have shown that LLLT can stimulate hair growth in women and men with androgenic alopecia. Research on treating frontal fibrosing alopecia with LLLT is limited, but some evidence suggests that it could reduce inflammation and help hair regrow.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil is an over-the-counter (OTC) topical hair growth treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to slow hair loss. It's most effective in people with male-pattern hair loss and, in some cases, can reverse hair loss. Minoxidil has not been shown to prevent frontal fibrosing alopecia from progressing, except when combined with other medications. 

Minoxidil works best if you use it early on small areas of hair loss. A review published in 2016 found that 2% and 5% minoxidil treatments work similarly. Oral minoxidil is not approved by the FDA, but it may treat hair loss better than topical options.

PRP Therapy 

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy involves injecting platelets from the blood into the scalp. The idea is that this injection helps regulate hair follicle growth and improve hair density.

A small study published in 2020 of 69 men with male-pattern hair loss found that those who received PRP therapy increased their hair follicle cells and improved hair growth. The researchers also found that those who received a combination of PRP and minoxidil had the best results.

How To Fix a Receding Hairline at Home

You may be able to treat a receding hairline at home in addition to using medical treatments. Taking gentle care of your hair, trying a new hairstyle, or asking a healthcare provider about supplements may be helpful.

Avoid Tight Hairstyles and Chemical Treatments

Give your hair a break with more relaxed styles if tight braids or a ponytail pull your hair along your hairline. This can give your hairline a chance to grow back if your hair loss is at the beginning stages of traction alopecia. Avoid heat from styling tools and chemical treatments like coloring, perming, or relaxing to reverse any damaged hair along your hairline.

Change Your Hairstyle

Opting for a hairstyle that camouflages your receding hairline can make it less noticeable. A barber or hairstylist can help you find a style that works for you. Some popular styles that can cover your temples or give the illusion of more hair include deep side parts, fohawks, and slicked-back undercuts. 

Consider Supplements

Hair growth vitamins may help you regrow your hairline if hair loss is related to stress or nutritional deficiencies. Some evidence suggests that nutrients like zinc can improve hair loss in those with deficiencies. Vitamins won't help people with genetic-related hair loss or permanent hair follicle damage. 

Keep in mind that the FDA minimally regulates supplements. The effects of supplements vary from and depend on the type, dosage, frequency of use, and interactions with current medications. Please speak to a healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting any supplements.

Try Hair Growth Serums

Applying serums that contain hair growth-promoting essential oils and herbal remedies may help hair growth if the hair follicles aren't permanently damaged. However, serums with these ingredients aren't proven treatments, and results will likely be limited. 

Research has shown that rosemary oil and 2% minoxidil show significantly increased hair count after six months. The botanical extract saw palmetto might also aid hair regrowth by lowering DHT levels.

A Quick Review 

A receding hairline is typically caused by genetics and aging related to male pattern hair loss or frontal fibrosing alopecia. Catching a receding hairline early and seeing a dermatologist helps prevent future hair loss and potentially regrow hair.

You can treat a receding hairline with a combination of minoxidil, finasteride, light therapy, PRP therapy, and hair implant surgery. Some people may also find changing their hairstyles, or embracing a bald look, is their preferred way to manage their hairline.