Men have it worse when it comes to hair fall and balding. Unfortunately, their later years in life are spent losing hair and battling receding hairlines. Women, on the other hand, experience hair thinning with age and hair fall. However, it is not as bad or as common as men. Centuries and different cultures have witnessed the bald patches that accompany middle and old age also known as a receding hairline.
For men, their hair starts to thin just above the forehead, and thus the hairline recedes. This type of male-pattern baldness is directly affected by your age, but there can also be other causes that trigger your hair fall, irrespective of your age.
If you want to prevent or slow down going bald at a young age, you need to identify and rectify the cause of your hair fall!
Causes of Receding Hairline in Men
Some of the common reasons for hair loss that leads to a receding hairline are:
1. Hormonal Disturbances
Fluctuations in your hormones can trigger hair loss in both men and women. When a hormone called DHT is out of balance, it leads to your hair follicles shrinking to the point that no hair can grow from them anymore.
2. Hereditary
Your family history plays a vital role in a receding hairline. You are likely to follow a similar hairline pattern as your previous generations.
3. Medical Treatments
Some medical treatments may also cause hair loss and a receding hairline in men.
4. Mental & Emotional Stress
Stress is a significant factor that leads to sudden hair loss. If you’re experiencing unexpected shedding, where you’re losing much more hair than usual in a short period, it might be because of your recent increase in stress. Luckily, you can reverse this kind of hair without any treatment just by reducing your stress levels.
5. Bad Lifestyle
There is a strong link between your lifestyle choices and your hair.
For, e.g., smoking may cause hair loss faster than in people who do not smoke. People who do not get enough protein in their diets may lose more hair than people who eat enough protein.
6. Receding hairlines can also be symptoms of:
- Cancer
- Infectious diseases
- Autoimmune disorders
- Eating disorders
- Mental health issues like anxiety & depression
- Thyroid disorders
- Medications
If you’re experiencing any type of hair loss that isn’t stopping no matter what you do, seek the help of a dermatologist as soon as possible. Hair fall and receding hairlines can be held off if detected early and treated right.
Treatments for Receding Hairline
The proper treatment for your hair loss depends on the cause of the hair loss itself. Treatment for hair loss will always begin with an analysis to diagnose the cause.
For example, hair loss caused by the overuse of hair styling products like hair curlers or straighteners, allergies to chemical treatments, or aggressive hair pulling can usually be reversed by stopping its usage.
When you consult a doctor for your receding hairline problems, here’s the treatment possibilities that a doctor can suggest:
Medications and topical treatments
This treatment method works when hair loss symptoms are minimal. In general, most medications for hair loss are proven to combat hair miniaturisation, not baldness–which is why early treatment is critical to the process.
Hair transplant surgeries
For hair that is already bald or balding, this is the best option for restoring hair growth. It is a minimally invasive treatment when it comes to surgical procedures.
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Strip Harvesting
Here, a strip of hair is harvested from the back of the head and is divided into individual follicles, which are then transplanted to the front of the scalp.
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FUE
This method involves the removal of individual hair follicles followed by their implantation into the thinning sections of your scalp.
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Neograft
Neograft is a semi-automated hair transplant system that works in conjunction with the FUE method to harvest hair follicles for transplantation.
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Forehead Reduction
This process adjusts the location of the hairline by moving the hair follicles where hair grows to lower down on the forehead.
Non-Surgical Treatment
Finasteride:
This is an FDA-approved treatment for male-pattern hair loss and receding hairlines. It is proven to increase the hair’s thickness and rate of growth, although it is not generally known for improving hair follicle counts or new hair. The medication comes in the form of 1mg pills taken daily, and its results are usually seen after three months.
Dutasteride:
Dutasteride works as an antiandrogen, and 5α-reductase inhibitor is used to treat male-pattern baldness in men.
Minoxidil:
Minoxidil is one of the most popular treatments for hair loss in both men and women and is available as an over-the-counter product in various presentations and strengths.
Minoxidil primarily works to thicken hair follicles, with a slight or possible increase in hair count.
PRP:
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a process that involves the collection of the patient’s blood, spinning it down into a high-platelet concentrate of plasma, which is then injected back into the candidate’s scalp.
PRP + Nano fat Injections:
Here, the purified fat is combined with PRP and injected into the scalp, enhancing the hair follicles and resulting in healthier, stronger, thicker, and additional hair growth.
PRP + Acell Injections:
Acell matrix is combined with PRP and injected into the scalp to combat hair loss. This therapy helps repair damaged hair follicles in thinning hair and can stimulate new hair growth.
To find out which treatment will work the best for you and your receding hairline, always consult a doctor or dermatologist.
The silver lining
Hair loss and receding hairlines in men are very common. However, with the advancement of technology today, you have many options to get your precious locks back!
FAQ’s
1. Can hair grow back after balding?
This entirely depends on the cause of your balding. In many cases where it is hereditary, the hair does not grow back naturally.
2. Can a hairline stop receding?
Usually, this is not common. The best thing to do is prevent the loss of hair in your youth.
3. At what age do men start balding?
Usually, this happens around the age of 30 and above; however, for men, they can begin to bald any time after puberty.
4. Will I go bald if my dad is?
The chances of this happening are high. Yes.
