Do you have a high hairline? Many people with a higher hairline than average are self-conscious about their appearance. They may use styling, accessories, or other tactics to make their forehead appear smaller.
This isn’t surprising, because a larger forehead or high hairline can sometimes create an older or less traditionally attractive appearance [1]. For women, a higher hairline might give a slightly less feminine appearance, but the good news is there are options to help you create a more balanced look that complements your natural features. In this article, we’ll explore:
A high hairline sits further back on your head than the average hairline, giving the appearance of a larger forehead. There are several reasons you may have a high hairline.
Hairline position can be genetic, as some people naturally have hair follicles that start further back on the scalp.
On the other hand, you may have a normal hairline, but your hairline gradually gets higher as you get older. There are several potential causes for this.
What’s the difference between a high hairline, a mature hairline and a receding hairline? A high hairline can be caused by genetics, age, or different types of alopecia.
Mature and receding hairlines are both types of high hairline. Let’s look at the difference between a mature and receding hairline.
A mature hairline is a natural part of ageing. Both men and women will find their hairline gradually moving further back as they get older.
This happens slowly over several years and usually recedes only 1.5–2 cm from its original position. Youthful hairlines often look unnatural on mature faces, so many people accept their mature hairline as a natural part of ageing.
A receding hairline is very common, particularly in men. It can also affect women with frontal fibrosing alopecia or traction alopecia.
Although a receding hairline will also move back gradually, it tends to happen faster than a mature hairline. There may be noticeable movement within several months.
While a mature hairline tends to remain even, a receding hairline will often become M-shaped due to male pattern baldness. In time, you may also develop a bald spot on the crown.
Here are some treatment options for a receding hairline. Unfortunately, these treatments are unlikely to work if you have a genetically high hairline, where hair follicles that produce terminal hair start further back on your head.
There are two main surgical options for a high hairline. One is a hairline transplant, and the other is forehead reduction surgery. Together, these procedures are known as hairline lowering surgery.
A hair transplant involves moving hair follicles from an area of healthy hair growth to an area of hair loss or desired growth. There are two main types of hair transplant: follicular unit extraction (FUE) and follicular unit transplantation (FUT). Both types of transplants can make a big forehead appear smaller.
FUE leaves minimal scarring at the donor site, and FUT leaves a small strip scar in the donor area. Here, you can see the main differences between these two procedures:
A hairline transplant can work well for a genetically high or receding hairline. Hair loss should be stable before a transplant is performed to avoid the need for multiple procedures. Your medical team may recommend hair loss medication to stabilise hair loss before considering a hair transplant to lower your hairline.
However, if your hairline does continue to recede after a hair transplant, it can always be topped up with a second procedure. An experienced surgeon will match your new hairline to your age so it looks as natural as possible.
Forehead reduction surgery is a procedure to lower your hairline by removing a portion of your forehead skin. Your scalp is repositioned to create a smaller forehead and bring your hairline forward. This type of surgery has gained public interest recently, thanks to Beth Halsey’s forehead reduction and success stories from other influencers.
This procedure can work well for people with a genetically high hairline but is not usually recommended for a receding hairline. Unlike a hair transplant, which causes no scarring in the forehead area, forehead reduction surgery leaves a forehead scar.
This could become visible if you ever cut your hair short or if your hairline starts to recede. Multiple forehead surgeries in the same area are not usually recommended due to the risk of scarring and other complications.
If you are self-conscious about a high hairline but you’re not ready to pursue treatment just yet, here are some tactics you can try straight away.
Is your hairline higher than you’d like it to be? Whether you’ve had a high hairline your entire life or it’s receding as you get older, the Wimpole Clinic can help.
It can be hard to diagnose the cause of a receding hairline by yourself. Our expert trichologists can advise you whether you have a mature or receding hairline and what may be causing your symptoms.
Our hair doctors complete a thorough assessment and confirm their findings with diagnostic trichology tests, such as blood tests for hair loss or a hair pull test.
Once you have a diagnosis, you’ll be presented with a range of treatment options. If you’re a candidate for a natural-looking hair transplant, you’ll have access to some of the best hair transplant surgeons in the UK.
Our surgeons create results that are so natural that it’s possible to get a hair transplant without anyone knowing. What are you waiting for? Book a consultation at your nearest clinic location to get started.
A straight hairline is one of the best for men because it looks youthful and healthy. In women, a bell-shaped or oval hairline is very common and is seen as one of the best hairlines. If you have a transplant, you can choose your new hairline shape. Learn more about different types of hairlines.
As a man with male pattern baldness, your hairline usually won’t start receding until your twenties or later. However, in some cases, you may experience receding hairline as young as your teens.
Women don’t tend to experience a receding hairline unless they have frontal fibrosing alopecia, which is a rare condition.
Stage one on the Norwood scale describes a normal, healthy head of hair with no visible signs of hair loss or receding hairline. By stage two, your hairline will start to move backwards and may become uneven, with signs of temple hair loss.
Your hairline may be receding if it starts to appear higher or develops into an M-shaped pattern. It may also become uneven, and you may notice frontal balding and more hair loss in the shower than normal. You might also start to see your scalp through the hair at the front of your head.
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