Receding hairline can cause a lot of panic specially if that happens in early ages as it is a major blow to self-esteem. While this condition is common in men, it occurs in women too. With all the advancement in dermatology; you can be rest assured, that reversing and controlling hair loss is possible if treated in time. The more proactive you are; the better chances you have to re-grow your natural hair.

What Are The Symptoms Of A Receding Hairline?

How to identify receding hairline before it is too late to do some damage control? Well, for men, receding of hairline can start any time after puberty, while women notice receding hairline typically after their 30s, due to various reasons such as infectious diseases, alopecia areata, thyroid problems, and ovarian tumours.
In most cases, you initially start noticing hair thinning from the temple region of the head, and from there, the hairline tends to move back of the head, till it leaves a ring around the top of the head. Some Tell-Tale Signs of a receding hairline include –
• Uneven Hairline – One of the easiest ways to identify receding hairline is to observe the way in which the recession occurs. If you notice that your front line of hair has uniformly receded, then it might be due to maturity of facial shape. However, if you notice that the recession of hairline is uneven and you have lost most of your hair near the forehead, then it maybe a warning sign for receding hairline.
• Thinning Of The Hair Near The Temple Region – If you tend to see a noticeable hair loss on the temple of your hair, then perhaps your hairline is receding. Note the texture, thickness, and overall quality of your hair from time to
• You Are Experiencing More Fallout Than Before – If you shed more than the normal 50-100 strands a day, then you should be on the guard, as it is a prominent sign of hair thinning and recession of hairline.
• Itchy And Flaky Hair – Your scalp shows the health of your hair, and if your scalp is itchy and flaky, then it does not provide a very healthy environment for your hair.

Also Read: How To Stop Hair Thinning? – Best Treatments & Tips

What Are The Causes Of A Receding Hairline?

An average person loses about 50 to 100 strands a day and has almost 100,000 hair that grow from the hair follicles on a daily basis. If your hair follicles are damaged or affected by an external source, then it hinders the whole hair growth cycle, resulting in a receding hairline. The following are a few factors that influence hair loss and hair thinning, and cause recession of hairline:
1- Hormone changes – Hormonal changes can be caused due to various factors in both men and women. It is a major cause for hair thinning and hair loss. Although, pattern hair loss in women is little vague than the pattern hair loss in males. For example, menopause can also cause thinning of hair, although you may not notice any change in the hairline.
2- Stress – Stress is the root to all possible problems that a person can face, and hair loss is one of them. Stress, whether emotional or physical, is known to have an impact on your body and your hair, therefore causing hair thinning and hair loss.
3- Medication – Certain medications come with a side effect like thinning of hair and hair loss. If you are using a prescribed medication which is causing you to lose your hair, look for an alternative. For example, the medicines that are prescribed for cancer, blood pressure, gout, heart disease and depression are known to cause hair loss.
4- Family history – Recession of hairline is a hereditary trait and runs in the family. Typically, men with family history of hair loss and baldness, are prone of this condition. In fact, the timing of when a person starts to lose hair can also be predicted, as it often is the same from one generation to another.

Also Read: Hair Loss Due To Stress – Causes & Treatments

How To Diagnose A Receding Hairline?

It is difficult to analyse the cause of hair loss, and therefore, it is recommended to seek help of an expert dermatologist who will be able to thoroughly analyse your condition and determine the root cause, by investigating your entire medical history.
One of the common tests performed by dermatologist is a “pull test”, in which they pull a few strands of hair to see how many of them fall out easily, without much pressure.
In the process of diagnosing the cause of hair loss, dermatologists often conduct a biopsy of scalp tissues/hair, to determine whether or not, the cause of hair loss is due to a scalp infection. A small amount of your affected scalp is scraped as a sample, which will be tested in the lab for any signs of infection or disease.
Further, a blood test may also be conducted, to see if your hair loss is because of conditions like thyroid.

Also Read: Thyroid Disorder & Hair Loss – How To Regrow It?

How to Prevent a Receding Hairline?

1. Maintain a healthy routine and ensure that your diet includes all the vitamins and minerals in balanced amounts. Poor eating habits reflect badly in your hair follicles, nails, and skin as well.
2. If you are diagnosed for a scalp infection/disease, it is important to religiously follow the medication prescribed by your dermatologist. Otherwise it will be harder for your body to keep the hair follicles alive, and thus will eventually lead to permanent hair loss or baldness.
3. Avoid styling your hair by pulling them tightly. Tight ponytail, pigtails etc., can damage your hair shaft and ultimately lead to hair loss.
4. A way to ensure that you treat your hair well is to pamper yourself even when you are asleep. Use silk or satin pillowcase, as it causes less friction, and hence your hair will slide across the pillow than being pushed across, which is the case with cotton pillow covers.
5. Meditate and calm your senses so as to give your body enough time to unwind and relax.

Treatments For A Receding Hairline

1- PRP treatment for hair regrowth and restoration –
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is the latest non-surgical and therapeutic treatment, ideal for treating a receding hairline. It is a natural process of hair regrowth which induces the patient’s own blood platelets, rich in growth factors, centrifuged and injected to stimulate new hair growth, in scalp. Medicines would also be given to prevent further hair loss.

Also Read: What Is PRP Hair Treatment & How Much It Cost?

2- Medications –
• Dermatologists would recommend drugs such as prednisone to suppress overactive immune response.
• Minoxidil (Rogaine) is suggested to reverse and slow down the process of hair loss.
• Finasteride (Propecia) is an FDA approved hair loss treatment for men, in pill form.
• Additionally, topical medications can be rubbed into the scalp to help in restoring hair growth.

3- Hair transplant –
Follicular unit extraction is the most cutting edge technique of surgically harvesting the receding hairline. Hair grafts are removed from back or other donor areas of the person, and then transplanted at the recipient area, using a precision tool. There may not be an apparent scar left from the procedure.

FAQ’s

Why a receding hairline is most common in men?
Androgenic alopecia is a condition that is more common in men. Men produce androgens like dihydro-testosterone (DHT), which is a by-product of testosterone hormone. It is known to shrink the size of the hair follicles, hence making it difficult for them to be active, therefore making men more probable hair loss than women.

Also Read: What Causes Androgenic Alopecia & How To Cure It?

Is it possible to regrow hair on a receded hairline in women?
Women show signs of hairline recession only after 30s. It is very important to consult a dermatologist to understand the cause, as it may be due to various reasons, right from infection to hormonal changes. It is possible to regrow hair on a receded hairline, but that can only be determined after a thorough analysis of scalp and hair. The following are a few ways of treating receded hairline:
– PRP for natural hair re-growth and restoration
– Hormone Therapy
– Use of Levothyroxine Medications
– Minoxidil and Propecia
– Hair Transplant
– Hair strengthening conditioners and shampoos

Does a hair transplant work on a receding hairline?
In hair transplant, the hair follicles from the back or other donor areas of your head are transplanted to the front of your scalp, to fill and restore your hairline.

Is it possible to get receded hair back?
Yes, PRP can help in re-growing the receded hairline, naturally. But it is recommended to consult a dermatologist to examine the cause of receding hairline, as they will be able to determine if the hair follicles are still active and if the roots are still restorable.

Does consuming biotin help in treating a receding hairline?
Biotin is a vitamin which is known to promote healthy hair and skin, especially if you are known to have vitamin deficiency. But for genetic causes, biotin may not work.

How to cure a receding hairline as a teenager?
Hairline does not mature till the age 25, therefore hair recession isn’t quite possible unless you have a scalp infection, for which, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist to determine the root cause. But, certain precautionary steps if adapted at an early age, can help in slowing the hair loss process –
• Maintain a healthy and balanced diet
• Avoid stress
• Maintain a healthy scalp
• Avoid combing your hair too often
• Don’t tie your hair too tight to style it
• Use satin pillow covers

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