What is a Double Crown?

Some people are blessed with thick, long locks that seem to fall into place effortlessly. Others spend each morning in front of the mirror, trying to get their parting to sit correctly. One such feature – the double crown – often makes people fall into the latter category.

What Exactly is a Double Crown?

Everyone’s hair is different – including the hair around the crown. The crown is the very top of your head, just behind the vertex. On the crown is a circular formation that your hair grows from, sometimes known as a whorl, and a double crown is when there are two of them. If you look at the back of the head of someone with a double crown, you will see two circular patterns where hair grows from.

What Causes a Double Crown?

A double crown is caused by genetics – it’s as simple as that. If you have two whorls, you will have them for life. If you weren’t born with a double crown, you won’t ever end up with one. Most of the time, parents with one will pass the trait on to their kids.

How Rare Are Double Crowns?

Double crowns are actually quite rare, with only around 5% of people having one [1]. It’s not so rare that you’ll never see anyone with one (as around 1 in 20 people you meet will have a double crown), but it’s rare enough to feel like a unique feature. Some people even have a triple hair crown, which is even more unique!

Have a Double Crown in Your Hair? Here’s How to Tell

Are you unsure about whether or not you have a double crown? The easiest way to tell would be to ask someone you know to check (as the whorls will be in the back of your hair). It’s usually easier to tell if you have a shorter haircut, as a longer style can make them harder to notice. Another way is by holding a mirror to the back of your head while looking in another mirror. You have a double crown in your hair if you notice two whorls!

Does a Double Crown Mean Balding?

No – the presence of a double crown is not enough to show that you are balding. Plenty of people with thick hair and no hair loss can have two whorls at the crown of their head. However, a double crown may make the signs of hair loss slightly more obvious, as you may first experience hair thinning around the crown. Keep in mind that male pattern baldness is very common and that the double crown will not have been the reason for the hair loss – lots of people without double crowns experience extreme hair loss.

Male Pattern Baldness Vs. a Double Crown

A double crown will look like two (usually anti-clockwise) spirals at the back of your head. On the other hand, male pattern baldness will produce thinning sections of the area. You may also notice excessive hair shedding in the shower if you have male pattern baldness. Most people shed between 50 and 100 hairs per day [2] – if you’re exceeding that, you may be experiencing hair loss.

Can You Get Rid of a Double Crown?

If you have a double crown in your hair, you cannot get rid of it. There’s no way to change the way your hair grows, so it’s something you’ll have to work around. However, if you experience hair loss around your crown, there are hair loss solutions (which we’ll go into further down). There are also some double crown hairstyles to conceal the whorls.

If you want to hide your hair’s double crown, you can ask your local hairdressers and barbers for a haircut and suggestions for suitable hairstyles that make working with the double crown easier. It’s always best to pick a barber or hairdresser who has worked on double crowns before and has a lot of experience.

Myths Surrounding Double Crowns

Having a double crown doesn’t really mean anything; it’s just how your particular hair grows. However, there have been some myths surrounding them over the years, such as:

• They are a sign of hair loss.
• They indicate a person is knowledgeable and talented.
• If your baby has a double crown, your next baby will be a boy.

There is no evidence to back up any of these claims. Instead, double crowns are just a regular feature, like having dark hair or blue eyes.

Does a Double Crown Increase Your Chances of Hair Loss?

There is no indication that a double crown increases your chance of experiencing male or female pattern hair loss. If you have a double crown, you have just as much chance of losing your hair as anyone else.

What Causes Hair Loss?

Various factors can cause female and male hair loss. Here are some of the most common.

Androgenetic Alopecia

Androgenetic alopecia (female or male pattern hair loss) is responsible for most hair loss cases, especially in men. Male hair loss is a particularly common issue with age, with most men experiencing some hair loss by the time they’re 50 and a quarter getting it before they’ve even reached 21. [3] This is a genetic issue, but there are some solutions to help it.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is a disease that causes small patches of hair loss that get larger over time. Some medications are helpful in the treatment of his condition, but there is no cure.

Stressful Life Situations

Stressful life situations like childbirth, rapid weight loss, or illness can cause your hair to thin or fall out. This is called telogen effluvium, a sort of shock hair loss that isn’t permanent.

Hormonal Changes

When your hormones change, so does your body – including your hair. When going through hormonal changes (such as during menopause), you may experience some hair loss or thinning.

Understanding hair loss causes will help you find a better solution. For example, if you know your hair loss is caused by telogen effluvium, you can focus on self-care while waiting for your hair to grow.

Solutions for Hair Loss

Does your double crown in the hair show too much balding? You don’t have to put up with that, as there are hair loss solutions.

Oral and Topical Medications

There are a handful of excellent hair restoration medications out there that are particularly good for male hair loss. For example, the oral medication Finasteride works by blocking the hormone DHT that causes hair loss in men, reversing the signs of male pattern baldness. Minoxidil is another good one that you don’t need a prescription for, and women can use it, too.

Lifestyle Adjustments

If your stressful life or poor nutrition is causing too much hair loss, the solution is to adjust your lifestyle. Instilling healthy habits into your life, such as working out often, eating a well-balanced diet, and practising self-care, can all go a long way when restoring your hair.

A Shorter Cut

Many women (and men) get a shorter haircut as they get older and experience hair thinning. A shorter haircut will mean your thinning hair won’t look as noticeable.

A Hair Transplant

There is a solution that has definite results, and that is a hair transplant. If your double crown in the hair has experienced thinning and balding, this is an excellent choice, as a hair transplant takes healthy hair follicles and places them into the thinning area, helping to restore thickness. The results last forever, and it looks completely natural.

Should You Get a Hair Transplant?

You must meet particular candidate requirements to be eligible for a hair transplant. First, for a FUE hair transplant, you’ll need a section of healthy hair to act as a donor site – hair that’s too thin won’t always work. Of course, you’ll also need an obvious section of thinning or balding hair where the surgeon can implant healthy hair follicles. You’ll also need to be in general good health and over the age of 25, with most surgeons not suggesting hair transplants for anyone under 30 (of course, there are certain circumstances where this isn’t the case).

If you want to find out if a FUE hair transplant is right for you, download our hair-tracking app or book a consultation. We’ll direct you through the process and help determine whether a hair transplant will work for your hair loss.

The Bottom Line

A double crown in your hair is nothing to worry about, but there are hairstyles if you want to hide it. If you’re experiencing hair loss in the crown accentuating the whorls and making you lose confidence, consider hair loss solutions like the FUE hair transplant. With this modern method, you can enjoy natural results that last a lifetime.

Sources:

1. What Does It Mean If You Have a Double Crown in Your Hair?
2. How much hair loss is normal?
3. What is Male Pattern Baldness?