How do I know if my hairline is receding?

Hair loss is something most people will experience at some time in their life, it can happen to anyone and each case can be slightly different. One of the most common reasons men notice that they are losing hair is because their hairline changes.

A change in your hairline doesn’t always mean its receding, and it doesn’t mean you need to book in for a hair transplant straight away.

What is a receding hairline?

A receding hairline is a term that is thrown around a lot when it comes to hair loss in men, many people assume they’ve got a receding hairline when in some cases they actually have a maturing hairline.

When a man suffers from male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) a receding hairline is something that would form. Male pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss and affects up to 70% of men and up to 40% of women during their lifetimes.

Male pattern baldness can over time follow the pattern of a receding hairline. The hair on the crown and temples can begin to thin, this can leave a horseshoe shape of hair around the head. Male pattern baldness happens as a result of hair follicles shrinking due to the effects of androgenic hormones and at current, there is no cure for it. There is a range of hair restoration treatments that can restore the appearance of a fuller head of hair.

Two androgens that are involved in male pattern baldness are testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), these hormones work to break down the hair growth cycle which eventually causes hair loss. As time passes your hairline can continue to recede and can end in more severe hair loss.

What is a maturing hairline?

When you age your body changes in different ways that are completely normal, and your hairline is one of those changes. As you get older you might notice your hairline becoming slightly higher, this process is known as your hairline maturing.

The most obvious changes to your hairline happens in the teenage years and your juvenile hairline will change. Your hairline will go from having slightly rounded edges and being quite low, to becoming slightly higher up and less defined.

For most, you’ll start to see a maturing hairline in your teenage years – usually when you’re around 17. This can differ from person to person and can happen anywhere between the age 17 and 29.

When should I worry about my hair loss?

When people think they’re losing their hair they automatically jump to the conclusion that they need an FUE hair transplant. Sometimes we have young men visit the clinic enquiring about receding hairlines when they actually have a maturing hairline, which, in most cases isn’t something they should be worried about.

At the Harley Street Hair Clinic, we do not like to offer our FUE procedure to clients that are of a young age. When you’re young, hair loss can be unpredictable and this makes it hard to plan a hair transplant for future hair loss. We advise younger patients to keep a close eye on their hair loss and document it by taking a photo every few months, and returning to the clinic if they feel the hair loss is getting worse.

If you would like more information on hair restoration treatments please contact us today for a no obligation consultation.

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