How To Combat A Receding Hairline

Hair loss is a natural part of aging. Whether you notice thinning, bald spots, or your hairline slowly creeping back from your forehead, rest assured that you're not alone — more than 80 million Americans experience it (via Southeastern Plastic Surgery, P.A.). Male-pattern baldness — the most prevalent form of hair loss in men — typically starts with a receding hairline, with hair loss at the temples moving backward and making an M shape (via Penn Medicine). Women can also experience this condition, called female-pattern baldness. Another form of hair loss in women that causes a receding hairline is frontal fibrosing alopecia (via the Belgravia Centre), which primarily affects post-menopausal women. Traction alopecia, caused by styling that pulls on the hair, extensions, and relaxers can also cause a receding hairline in women. 

A receding hairline is normal, but it can be damaging to your self-esteem. The good news is that there are many treatments for hair loss now that can restore at least some of your hair and help you keep the hair you still have. Topical medications, medical treatments, cosmetic procedures, scalp massage, and more, have all been shown to be effective. Lifestyle changes, such eating a healthy diet, can also help. 

One of the most common treatments for a receding hairline is the topical medication Monoxidil, which works by reducing the duration of the telogen phase — the resting phase of hair growth — thereby increasing the speed at which the hair begins the growth phase (via Hairclub). As a vasodilator, it helps expand the blood vessels, which enables the delivery of greater amounts of oxygenated blood to the hair follicles. Minoxidil may also improve the thickness and strength of hair by enlarging the hair follicles.

Minoxidil comes in different strengths — 2% and 5%. In a 2002 study, the 5% solution was significantly more effective than the 2%, with 45% greater hair growth after 48 weeks. Minoxidil is safe in both strengths for men and women alike. You may find specific products marketed to women — often at a considerably higher price — but they contain the same active ingredient (via JAMA Dermatology).

You can find Minoxidil as a foam or liquid which you have to apply to the scalp twice a day (via the Mayo Clinic). Consistency is key to its effectiveness. Minoxidil doesn't work overnight. In most cases, you can start to see results in about six months. You should then wait another few months to make a decision whether or not it's effective for you (via the Mayo Clinic). Minoxidil must be used forever to continue seeing results. Once you stop using it, hair loss will reoccur. 

A hair transplant takes hair from an area where you have more hair — typically the back of the head — and transplants it along your receding hairline (via WebMD). There are two types of hair transplant procedures: follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) and follicular unit extraction (FUE). In FUSS, a strip of scalp is removed from the back of your head where the existing hair will cover it. The portion of removed scalp is split into hundreds or thousands of grafts containing a single to a few hairs. These grafts are then implanted in the hairline. FUE is a less invasive procedure in which individual hair follicles are removed from the back of the scalp and moved to the hairline. A few weeks after a hair transplant, the new hairs will fall out. It will take several months before it begins to grow back and you see noticeable results.

Typically hair transplant surgery is recommended as an option for people who have tried other treatments but not gotten results (via the Cleveland Clinic). The procedure is expensive and it isn't covered by health insurance. You may need to have follow-up treatments to achieve the desired results. You also have to consider that while the transplanted hair can last up to 20 years, your natural hairline may continue to recede, in which case you will need to have more transplants in the future or use medications to stop further hair loss (via The Treatment Rooms). 

During plasma-rich platelet (PRP) therapy, a specialist draws a blood sample and processes it in a centrifuge to separate platelets and plasma from other substances in the blood (via Harvard Health Publishing). This causes the platelets to become more concentrated in the plasma, hence the name platelet-rich plasma. Platelets produce growth hormones that are believed to promote tissue regeneration and wound-healing. In the case of hair loss, it is believed that, when injected into the hair follicles, it can stimulate a group of cells that encourage hair growth. 

Research shows that this treatment method is effective, especially for male- and female-pattern baldness. A 2019 meta-analysis found that PRP therapy increased hair density from baseline and better than a placebo therapy. A 2020 study found that PRP was more effective than minoxidil. However, a combination of PRP and minoxidil was more effective than either treatment used alone. 

PRP treatments should be performed four weeks apart for the first four treatments and then once every 12 to 24 months to maintain results (via Tareen Dermatology). There are minimal side effects — mild swelling, tenderness, and bleeding at the injection sites are possible. Results can usually be seen 3 to 6 months following the initial treatment.

Massaging the scalp promotes blood flow to the hair follicles and stimulates hair growth. According to a 2019 study, scalp massage may have similar effects as other stimulation-based therapies, including PRP. Researchers surveyed a group of men with different types of hair loss — diffuse, frontal, temporal, and top of head — who performed an average of 11-20 minutes of scalp massage daily. Almost 70% of the men reported stabilization in hair loss and regrowth after an average of 36.3 hours of massage. Results also revealed that scalp massage was more effective for a receding hairline and top-of-head thinning than it was for diffuse hair loss. 

The benefits of this type of stimulation-based therapy is that it can be performed at home with no financial investment. But like many hair loss treatments, it requires time and commitment. Scalp massages need to be performed daily or twice daily for up to 20 minutes, and it takes several months to see results. Scalp massage may have more benefit when used in combination with other treatments like minoxidil and PRP. 

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a sex hormone responsible for male development. The body converts approximately 10% of testosterone — found in higher levels in males — into DHT, but it doesn't really serve any biological purpose in adulthood (via the Cleveland Clinic). However, it is related to enlargement of the prostate and male-pattern baldness. It can also play a role in female-pattern baldness. Higher concentrations of DHT at the hair follicles can cause narrowing of the follicles and a shorter hair growth phase, both of which contribute to hair loss. Therefore, reducing DHT levels may help fight a receding hairline. 

The prescription medication finasteride can lower DHT by hindering its conversion from testosterone (via the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery). Another prescription medication called dutasteride can also reduce DHT levels (via Alopecia). These drugs are not FDA-approved for women, although they are sometimes used off-label to treat female-pattern hair loss (via Bauman Medical and JDD). This should only be done under medical supervision. 

Pumpkin seed oil supplements may help to reduce DHT activity. A 2014 study showed that men who took 400 milligrams of pumpkin seed oil daily for 24 weeks had a mean hair increase of 40% compared to 10% in the placebo group. A 2018 laboratory study found that curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, reduced testosterone and DHT in human prostate cancer cells. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings.