Receding Hairline
A receding hairline may be common — about two-thirds of men start losing their hair by age 35 — but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating.
The good news is that there are a few ways to put the brakes on that receding hairline, and even regrow hair you’ve already lost.
Read on to find out why your hairline is retreating and how to fix a receding hairline.
What is a Receding Hairline?
A receding hairline is exactly what it sounds like — a hairline that’s gradually (or, for some guys, rapidly) moving further up your head. The reason this happens? Androgenetic alopecia, also called androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness.
In fact, if you’re in the earliest stages of male pattern baldness, one of the first signs you’ll notice is a receding hairline. Men may also spot hair thinning slightly near their temples or that their hairline starting to resemble a V, M or U shape when viewed from above.
Receding hairlines can develop at any point in your life, but most guys first notice some hair recession in their 20s, 30s or 40s.
Why Is My Hairline Receding?
There are a few types of hair loss, all of which have different causes. However, with a receding hairline, the culprit is almost always male pattern baldness — a consequence of how your hair responds to a hormone called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.
What is DHT?
DHT is an androgen hormone, or male sex hormone. Your body naturally produces DHT as a byproduct of testosterone. An enzyme called 5-alpha reductase converts a small percentage of testosterone into DHT on an ongoing basis.
During childhood and adolescence, DHT plays a key role in the development of your male secondary sex characteristics, like a deep, masculine voice and your facial and body hair.
As you get older, DHT becomes less critical to your growth and development, but your body still produces it in small amounts.
DHT and a Thinning Hairline
In some men, DHT can bind to receptors in the scalp and cause hair follicles to miniaturize, or shrink. Over time, this process stops the hair follicles from producing new hairs, resulting in increased hair fall and gradual hair loss.
The hair follicles at your hairline — especially near your temples — are often the first affected by DHT-related miniaturization.
DHT sensitivity can vary among men and there’s really no way to predict it. If you’re sensitive to DHT, you might be more likely to notice that your hairline looks thinner or more of the skin around your temples is showing.
Not everyone with a receding hairline will go completely bald. Your hairline may back up a bit and then hold in place for many years. But a receding hairline is a common early sign of hair loss, so it’s also a sign to protect your hair before it thins further.
new hair or your money back
How is a Receding Hairline Diagnosed?
Most of the time, you can identify a receding hairline yourself by looking at your frontal hairline in the mirror. If the corners of your hairline have moved up on your scalp, or if your hairline is starting to develop a V or M-like shape, there’s a good chance it’s receding.
Reviewing pictures of yourself from recent years may confirm changes in your hairline or in the volume or texture of your hair.
Most healthcare professionals, including dermatologists, diagnose male pattern baldness the same way you would — by looking at your scalp.
Sometimes, a receding hairline might develop at the same time as other male pattern baldness symptoms, such as:
A bald patch around your crown
Diffuse thinning on the top of your scalp
An increased amount of daily hair shedding
11 Receding Hairline Treatments
Before getting into specific treatment options for receding hairline, it’s important to make one thing clear: The sooner you start treating your receding hairline, the more hair you’re likely to keep in the long run.
It’s worth mentioning that a receding hairline treatment that works for one guy may not produce the same results for you. How best to fix receding hairline problems can require a lot of patience and willingness to try more than one treatment if necessary.
1. Use Finasteride to Lower Your DHT Levels
Research shows that one of the most effective ways to stop male pattern baldness from getting worse is to block DHT with medication.
Right now, the most effective medication for reducing DHT levels is finasteride (also sold under the brand name Propecia®). This prescription drug blocks 5-alpha reductase, reducing your DHT levels and limiting the damage DHT can cause to your hair follicles.
Research shows that finasteride prevents DHT-related hair loss from getting worse, and can even stimulate new hair growth.
For example, a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that finasteride helps to increase hair count in balding men.
Currently, finasteride is available as an oral and topical medication — but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved the oral version as a treatment for hair loss.
While the topical version isn’t yet FDA-approved, studies have shown it’s effective in treating hair loss, and has few side effects. A 2022 European study found that a topical finasteride spray was both well-tolerated and effective in improving hair count in men experiencing androgenetic alopecia.
We offer finasteride online, following a consultation with a licensed healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is right for you.
2. Apply Minoxidil to Stimulate Hair Growth
Minoxidil is an over-the-counter (OTC) hair loss medication. Experts believe it can stimulate the hair growth cycle by moving your hair follicles into active growth and promoting blood flow to your scalp.
Currently, topical minoxidil (also known as Rogaine®) is FDA-approved as a liquid and foam. In some cases, healthcare professionals also prescribe the oral form off-label as a treatment for hair loss.
Minoxidil works well on its own due to its effects on blood flow, but it’s especially effective at protecting your hairline when used with finasteride.
In one small study published in the journal Dermatologic Therapy, 94 percent of men with hair loss showed improvements after using minoxidil with finasteride.
It’s important to remember that minoxidil, like finasteride, has a catch: If you don’t use it, you lose it — it being your hair.
You'll need to regularly use minoxidil (or finasteride) to maintain hair health and prevent your hairline from receding further.
We offer minoxidil solution and minoxidil foam online, allowing you to add this medication to your hair loss prevention toolkit easily.
3. Wash With a Hair Loss-Prevention Shampoo
Can your shampoo save your hairline all on its own? Probably not. But using the right hair products may help.
Many hair loss shampoos contain active ingredients like ketoconazole and saw palmetto, which may help stop DHT’s negative effects on your scalp.
Shampoo won’t have as much of an impact on a balding hairline or diffuse hair loss as medications do, but it can still be a valuable part of your hair treatment and prevention toolkit. Consider the right shampoo as a complement to medications designed to treat a receding hairline and other types of hair loss.
4. Don’t Forget Conditioner
If you want to make the most of the hair you have, team up your shampoo with a conditioner. Lack of moisture can make thinning hair look even thinner, so it’s important not to skip this vital hair care step.
A good conditioner should hydrate without weighing down your strands, which can help hair appear thicker and fuller.
5. Eat a Diet That Promotes Healthy Hair Growth
Like every part of your body, your hair has nutritional needs, too. While there’s no miracle diet for preventing male pattern baldness, eating a healthy diet rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients may promote consistent hair growth and stop hair-related issues like hair breakage and shedding.
There’s a link between many nutritional deficiencies and excess hair shedding, including iron, zinc and protein deficiencies. A blood test can help identify whether you’re deficient in a specific nutrient. Your healthcare provider may recommend taking a vitamin supplement, along with making dietary changes, to address any nutritional deficiencies.
The good news? You don’t need to follow a strict diet to maintain a healthy head of hair. In fact, many foods rich in hair-friendly nutrients are probably already part of your diet.
But if you’re looking to step up your hair care diet even more, our guide to what to eat for hair growth lists more than 15 foods that will help ensure your hair follicles get the nutrients they need for healthy growth.
It’s official. Hims is a hit.
Bryan, 28
Verified review
Tony, 32
Verified review
Ryan, 29
Verified review
Parbhu, 28
Verified review
Michael, 33
Verified review
Jesse, 36
Verified review
Giovanny, 23
Verified review
Alexander, 32
Verified review
Brian, 48
Verified review
Al, 54
Verified review
Seth, 27
Verified review
Milton, 36
Verified review
Mike, 34
Verified review
Before/after images shared by customers who have purchased varying products, including prescription-based products. Customers were compensated for their testimonials. These customers’ results have not been independently verified. Individual results will vary.
6. Massage Your Scalp
Finasteride and minoxidil do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to stopping and reversing a receding hairline.
But adding other techniques, like scalp massage, to your research-backed medications can help keep your hair follicles in tip-top shape and promote healthy circulation in your scalp.
It sounds strange, but it’s true!
Massaging your scalp might help stimulate blood flow and improve hair growth. In a 2019 study, researchers found that participants who practiced scalp massage daily saw improvements in hair growth.
7. Change Up Your Hairstyle
How you style your hair also may contribute to a receding hairline. Man bun? Ponytail? Cornrows? Pretty much any style that pulls on your hair may be stressing your hair to the point where it starts to disappear.
This type of hair loss is called traction alopecia, and luckily, it has a simple solution: Switch to styles that don’t put stress on your hair. If you do want to pull your hair back, make sure your style isn’t too tight, especially on your hairline.
8. Get Stress Levels Under Control
Stress is a common cause of telogen effluvium — a form of temporary hair thinning that can affect your entire scalp, including your hairline.
A 2023 cross-sectional study of 770 men and women found that stress can be a major contributing factor to hair loss.
You can try to reduce stress by avoiding common triggers and using relaxation techniques whenever you feel anxious. It’s easier said than done, of course, but stress-relieving practices are valuable when it comes to your hair — and beyond.
9. Quit Smoking
Some research suggests that smoking may contribute to hair loss by constricting the blood vessels that supply your scalp and harming your hair follicles.
If you smoke, quitting might benefit your hairline, in addition to all the other health benefits you’ll get.
10. Try a Biotin Supplement
Biotin deficiency is a rare health issue that can cause excess hair shedding.
While most of us get an adequate amount of this nutrient, adding a biotin supplement to your daily routine could reduce your risk of becoming deficient and promote healthy hair.
11. For Severe Hair Loss, Consider a Hair Transplant
Hair transplantation is a surgical hair loss treatment that involves extracting hair follicles from the sides and back of your head and transplanting them to areas with bald spots and thin hair.
When done by a skilled surgeon, a hair transplant can make your hairline look identical to a natural hairline unaffected by male pattern hair loss.
Although hair transplant surgery is effective, it can be quite expensive. If you have an obvious receding hairline and noticeable hair loss, this hair restoration procedure can cost several thousand dollars at a minimum.
Hair restoration procedures are also more effective when done in the early receding hairline stages. If you’re mostly bald on top, hair transplant surgery may not be the answer.
You can learn more about this type of procedure, its advantages and disadvantages, different techniques, and more in our guide to hair transplants.
And if you’re wondering about other medical treatments for hair loss, like platelet-rich plasma (PRP), you can check out our guide to PRP for hair loss.
Hair loss treatments, delivered
The Bottom Line on How to Fix a Receding Hairline
There’s no such thing as a bad hairline. And there are plenty of haircuts and styles that work for guys with a receding hairline or thinning hair.
But if you’ve recently noticed your hairline creeping backward and want to do something about it, it’s important to act quickly to prevent your hair loss from getting worse.
You can do this by:
Using FDA-approved hair loss medications like finasteride and minoxidil to address the root causes of hair loss and stimulate new growth.
Adding a hair loss prevention shampoo and conditioner to your daily hair care and hair regrowth routine.
If all else fails or if your hair loss is already severe, consider undergoing hair transplant surgery to fill in your hairline, top of the head and other areas with visible thinning.
If you’re starting to experience hair loss, you can learn more about your options by participating in a hair loss consultation via our telehealth platform.
You can also learn more about maintaining hair thickness in our complete guide to the best treatments for thinning hair.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment or medication.