If you are searching for the best and worst hairstyles for men with thin hair, you may be one of the over 85% of males who experience hair loss or thinning during their lifetime [1]. Or your hair texture might have always been finer and wispier than most. In either case, rest assured that there are a variety of hairdos to choose from which can help you make the most out of your thin locks.
Whether you see yourself sporting an elegant side-swept part or are more of a casual spikes kind of guy, finding the right hairdo can give you the confidence boost you need. But unless you understand what kind of styles can mask your thinning spots while at the same time highlighting your hair advantages, it can be easy to settle for a hair don’t instead.
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There can be several reasons why your hair may feel thinner:
If your hair is fine or thinning, here are some of the best hairstyles that can make you look great, while at the same time discreetly mask problem areas on your scalp.
This strong, masculine style is a go-to especially if you are experiencing temple hair loss. You can say goodbye to your M-shaped hairline and it will give you a youthful, dynamic look. All it takes is shaving off the back and sides of your head in a way that blends with your remaining hair. It works best if you are not experiencing advanced frontal hair thinning.
This haircut is an evergreen style that can make your general hair thinness less conspicuous and works well for most face shapes. It is easy to create – simply by taking a shaving machine to your entire head and leaving your hair a few millimetres long. This short style can mask a balding spot on the crown which makes it one of the best hairstyles for bald men.
A neat and elegant haircut, the side-swept part takes advantage of your thicker lateral hair to mask light hair loss at the crown. It can also be very useful if you need to cover up hair thinning on one side of the head. It is a versatile look, which can work well with a variety of face types and personalities.
The faux hawk is a trendy and rebellious style which works very well even with a receding hairline. It Is achieved by using hair gel to lift the hair on your crown into a small mohawk shape. Shaving the sides of your hair short may help if you are experiencing receding at the temples.
However, it works best if you’re not experiencing substantial thinning on the top of your head, as adding the necessary styling product to keep this haircut in shape will make your hair seem even thinner.
This manly army look involves keeping the hair on the top of your head longer while shaving the back and sides close. Letting this style blend with a scruffy beard will divert attention away from a receding hairline. And having slightly longer hair on top can mask some thinning on your crown. But more importantly, it will give you a mature, dependable appearance.
Keeping your hair short is always a good idea if you feel it is too thin because it is more difficult to notice its texture. Wearing it messy will not only make it easier to style in the morning, but it will also mask thinning areas.
If your hair is naturally wavy, you can wear it a little longer even if it is thin. Your curls will add volume and texture, especially if you add some light hair styling products to it and tousle it before stepping out.
A very masculine hairstyle, the flat top buzz cut exudes rigour and confidence. The high fade makes it ideal if you are experiencing temple hair loss and the bulky top can conceal some incipient hair thinning on the crown as well.
However, it will not work well if you are experiencing advanced hair shedding on the top of your head.
A timeless classic, the slicked-back look will compliment your appearance even if you are experiencing a receding hairline or a widow’s peak. While it works best when you still have most of your crown hair, it can help cover small bald spots on the crown, especially if styled with extra hold fixating products and with hair thickening spray.
While a fringe is not always a good idea for thin hair, a messy, layered one can mask a thin texture, and works well to cover different problematic types of hairline. While the layering provides texture, the tousled look gives you a fresh, youthful vibe.
Spiky hair adds texture and creates the illusion of volume. However, your hair is thin, you want to keep the spikes short, so they won’t appear sparse. This hairdo is very easy to style, all you need is to keep the hair on the top of your head slightly shorter than the rest and spike it up with some hair gel.
If you have a more athletic constitution and want to avoid the hassle of styling your thin hair altogether, a clean shaved head may be the look for you. More and more men opt for this style as it has been made popular by action movie stars such as Vin Diesel and The Rock.
Needless to say, it works great for any hair type.
Wavy hair (also known as type 2a hair) naturally adds texture and the illusion of volume to any hairstyle, so even if your hair is thin, you can grow out your locks a little longer than you could if it were straight. The texture will often draw attention away from a higher hairline, thinning spots and even from diffuse thinning.
Flat tops work best if your crown hair is intact, but your hairline and temples are not looking so good. The bulkier hair on the crown will draw attention away from a receding hairline and the fade will solve your temple recession problems. It is ideal for people with curly or afro hair.
The stylish quiff is versatile and works well for men who are experiencing hair thinning at the crown. The longer, combed up and then backwards frontal hair will usually be the point of focus, concealing the crown situation behind it. It works best when there is sufficient frontal hair to look somewhat full when combed up.
If you are looking to give off a roguish, bad-boy vibe, the Statham stubble may be the hairstyle for you. All you need to do is shave your head and then let it grow out just enough to get some stubble. It is the signature look of action star John Statham, and it works best when worn with a few-day-old beard, the way he wears it himself.
While this style does not fully conceal the signs of advanced androgenetic alopecia, if you can pull it off, your hair loss will no longer matter.
The bro flow involves wearing your longer, wavy or curly hair combed back, but not slicked. It can create the appearance of a fuller mane. This style can work even if you have a receding hairline and it can help you mask any thinning on the top of your head.
This variation of the surfer hairstyle combines the advantages of forward-brushed hair and wispy bangs. It can mask your receding hairline while at the same time making your bangs look good even if it is made of finer strands, so it can be one of the best hairstyles for a thinning fringe. Layering your hair can also add apparent volume and frame your face better.
A combination of the short spiky and high fade styles, this hairdo works well for men with a receding hairline and/or incipient thinning at the crown. As the fade diverts attention from your temples, the spikes make your crown appear fuller and with greater volume (just be careful not to use too much product, so your spikes won’t get too wet and start looking sparse).
While textured hair is easier to wear at medium length even in spite of some thinning, you can make your fine, straight hair look fuller by adding some layers to it. They will prevent a flat look and make thinning spots less conspicuous.
Wearing bangs may be risky if you have thin hair. But if you enjoy them, make sure to choose the choppy variety. They will help you conceal a receding or uneven hairline and their textured, asymmetrical style will make them work even if they are a little sparse.
Shaggy hair is one of the best options for masking frontal hair loss. Framing your face in soft curls draws attention to your eyes and away from a thinning crown. For this style to work, you would, however, need to not be experiencing significant thinning at the fringe.
Similar to the buzz cut, the classic crew cut is a military style, but it is slightly longer. While it is tapered at the back and the sides, it leaves slightly more length at the front. It is versatile and can suit most face shapes and it is ideal for men who are thinning at the top because the shorter hair on the sides balances out this effect.
A clean and classy hairdo, the Ivy League hairdo has a side part and longer, combed-up hair in the front. Since the hair on the top of your head is cut shorter than the frontal part, it can make thinning on the crown less conspicuous. However, it works best if you aren’t experiencing significant thinning on your hairline.
The short skin fade is ideal for men with incipient androgenic alopecia, as its clean-shaved sides disguise any temporal hair loss, while the very short crown hair makes thinning more difficult to notice. Furthermore, straight-shaving the hairline makes it look even and masks the fact that it has started to recede.
Similar to the bro flow, the wavy slick back is ideal for men who have wavy hair which is thinning around the crown. While the curls provide texture, slicking the frontal hair back covers lower top hair density and adds the illusion of volume. This style can work well even with a receding or uneven hairline, as it is not focused on straight lines.
If your hair is straight, medium length and thinning on one side of the head, you can try a layered asymmetrical hairdo. You can side-comb some of the frontal layers to cover one-sided hair loss, while simply tousling the rest. This will make your hair appear to have more volume and texture.
A textured, side-swept fringe can be enough to mask signs of hair loss on your hairline, temples and crown alike. However, to be able to manage this look, you need to have good hair density on the sides of your head and leave the front and sides of your hair a bit longer, to ensure good coverage of the forehead.
An age-old hairstyle, the Caesar cut is short, with a small, straight or tapered fringe. The forward-combed short hair makes hair thinning at the top of your head more difficult to notice. However, while it is one of the best styles for a receding hairline, it does not usually work well with significant frontal baldness.
While frosted tips aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, this blast from the past has recently been making a comeback. And if you are looking for a way to divert attention from your thinning hair, drawing it to its flashy tips instead of its dwindling roots can be the way to go. Going for a messy look can give this bold style a dynamic, energetic vibe.
A hard-edge Caesar style can be just what you need to fix a messed up hairline, because the hairdo is neat, modern and still looks good even if it starts higher above your brow.
Simply shave your hairline back to where it is straight (it won’t work well if you have a pronounced M-shaped hairline or significant frontal balding). And keeping your hair very short can conceal top thinning and fine-textured hair.
Getting a high undercut slicked-back top can grant you all the advantages of a regular slicked-back hairdo and those of a high fade, but it will also add something extra. It will give you a very masculine, rugged, confident vibe, most suited to more mature men. It works especially well for those with silver hair. See the most popular older men’s hairstyles for thinning hair for more inspiration.
If you are of a more artistic, non-conformist nature and you are experiencing hair thinning primarily on one side of the head, this asymmetric style might be for you.
All you need to do is let the hair just over the middle of your head hair grow out up to chin length in the front and progressively shorter until the back, then sweep it over the side of your head and shave the other side.
It won’t only make you look mysterious and intense, it will cover up hairline receding and unevenness, temporal hair loss and even thinning on the crown.
A business cut is a clean, neat hairstyle which exudes professionalism, confidence and competence. It has a side part and is either combed back or swept to the side frontal hair. Keep it in place with light styling products, so it appears smooth and well-kept at all times.
Since we are accustomed to seeing it in mature men, this style works well with a receding and even an M-shaped hairline and can be especially attractive if you are greying at the temples.
As the name suggests, this can be a good look for men with thinning curly or afro hair. That is because it is short and high enough to mask temple hair loss and diffuse hair thinning, but long enough to cover balding spots on the crown. Your kinky hair will give the illusion of volume even if there isn’t enough of it for a full afro.
If your hair is not curly enough for a short afro, but still kinky, you may be in luck. The natural texture of your hair can help you mask thinning areas. You just need to keep your hair short enough that you can’t tell it’s getting sparse, but just long enough for your curls to be able to form properly.
You can then use styling products to arrange them in a way that provides your balding areas (including your temples and hairline) with better coverage.
If the idea of a shaved head appeals to you but you have a softer, more oval face or a slimmer constitution, you may look better with a close shaved head. This falls somewhere between a clean shaved style and a buzz cut and unlike the Statham stubble, it works better without facial hair.
Since it’s very short, it can make thinning areas less conspicuous. It also works well with scalp micropigmentation or spray-on hair if your balding is more advanced.
The shaggy, messy, Brit-pop vibe of the Oasis hairstyle will frame a long face very well and the piecey fringe will cover your hairline without drawing attention if the strands are too thin. It works best if you still have full crown hair, but it may still look good even if you are experiencing some thinning on top.
This fresh, modern interpretation of a traditional army style is ideal if you have straight hair and are experiencing thinning on one side of the head. It involves making a side parting, then sweeping the larger portion of hair to the side and shaving the hair on the other side of the head with a fade, starting a few centimetres below the part.
This can help cover hair thinning at the crown as well as the temples and make you look dynamic and confident.
Jude Law’s signature hairstyle involves pushing his hair forward and then giving it a tousled, messy look. It works best for men who are experiencing a receding or uneven hairline, but also for those who simply have fine-textured hair, as the messy frontal hair gives the appearance of extra volume.
Made popular by famous TV shows, such as The Vikings, this Nordic hairstyle works great to hide thinning hair if you want to keep your long locks. You need to cleanly shave all of your head except for the top and then loosely braid your locks at the back of the head.
Since this style can start very high and shave off all but the crown, it can mask a receding hairline and thinning temples perfectly. It works best if you have no thinning on the top, but even if you have some, it can be covered as you comb your hair back to braid it.
This hairdo is commonly worn with a beard.
Similar to Jude Law’s messy push, the pushed-forward crop masks both hair loss at the temples and an uneven or receding hairline. It involves combing your frontal hair forward, while the sides are kept shorter (you may even opt for a fade if needed). However, since it is not messy or layered, this style may look flat on men with straight hair.
This hairdo is youthful, soft and romantic, as it frames the face in messy, wispy strands and a slightly side-swept fringe. While the layers create the impression of volume, the messy bangs cover your hairline in a discreet, natural way. This style, however, does not work very well for a thinning crown, as the hair on top is just long enough to emphasise it.
Sometimes, you don’t need a new haircut for your thinning locks, but merely to spice up your old one. If you are a bold, adventurous type, you can always do that by adding some vivid colours to it.
Applying them to areas where your hair is fuller can divert attention from your receding hairline or thinning crown. Just be careful not to use harsh chemicals on your hair too frequently, as they can cause further hair shedding.
Has your hairline become M-shaped? Instead of covering it up, why not lean into it? This adventurous hairstyle involves creating a sharp, pointy hairline, which forms an M shape with your temple hair while combing or slicking the rest of your hair back.
This will mask your receding temples perfectly, while possibly covering up some crown thinning as well. It will, however, not work if you have advanced frontal hair loss.
If you have wavy or curly hair, cutting all of it short but leaving the fringe longer will give you a soft, artsy look. It will also mask a receding or uneven hairline and some frontal hair thinning.
If you are also experiencing some hair loss on the crown, you may want to cut the hair on your crown as short as the one on the back and sides of your head, otherwise, you can leave it a little longer.
Should you like to wear your wavy hair in a quiff, you may want to consider pulling a few strands down on one side of your face. It will not only give you a soft, romantic, passionate appearance, but it can also conceal an uneven hairline or thinning on one side of the head.\
Similar to the Oasis cut, the wolf cut frames your face with messy, layered strands. But its main distinctive features are that it is longer in the back than in the front (usually shoulder-length) and has a midline part. It can be worn with curtain bangs which work well to conceal a receding hairline or thinning at the temples.
While it is not a hairstyle in itself, wearing a beanie can be a lifesaver when you are having a bad hair day. It is stylish, trendy and youthful and will cover most of your hair thinning. Alternatively, you can try a sports band or a bandana to mask frontal hair loss and even a good, old-fashioned baseball cap will do in a pinch.
If you are experiencing advanced male pattern baldness and have little hair left on your crown, you may be tempted to try to mask this by combing over some strands from the fuller sides of your head. However, it would be wise to resist this urge, as it will only highlight your hair loss.
Better styles to try instead:
This traditional African hairstyle relies on the natural thickness and density of afro hair to work. If your hair is naturally thin or you are experiencing significant hair shedding, your cornrows are likely to end up very thin and far apart, drawing attention to your dwindling hair density.
Similarly to cornrows, dreadlocks only look good if you have full, thick hair. If you are experiencing hair thinning or have naturally fine hair, you are unlikely to get the result you are hoping for and your balding spots might become even more conspicuous between your locs.
While this edgy hairstyle has recently become more frequently encountered and it would indeed cover up your frontal hair loss, it may attract negative attention, especially in professional settings. You may want to opt for a different, but still adventurous choice.
The top knot can be a great hairstyle if you are only experiencing mild hair thinning, such as an uneven hairline. But if your hair is fine-textured and/or you are facing hair loss, you will not only be drawing attention to your low strand density by tying it up.
You may also develop traction alopecia, a condition induced by tight hairstyles, such as top knots or ponytails, that can cause hair loss.
If you have advanced frontal balding, wearing a long hairstyle will only cause a contrast which will draw more attention to your hair loss. Longer hair works best for younger men with thick, straight hairlines, such as Jack Grealish’s hair.
While giving up long tresses can be difficult, you may find that other hairdos might make you look younger and more stylish.
A bowl cut can be difficult to make work even with full, thick hair, as it is generally flat and unflattering. Moreover, it relies on dense frontal hair to achieve its seamless look. Wearing it would make your lower hair density conspicuous.
If you experienced significant hair shedding due to a condition such as telogen effluvium, you may notice that although it still looks good when let loose, if you try to tie it into a ponytail, it will look very thin and unappealing. Moreover, tight hairstyles can cause traction alopecia.
Advanced hair loss on your hairline and crown can rarely be masked by a comb forward, as it will only seem sparse and draw attention to the very baldness you are trying to cover up. Your best bet would be to see a trichologist and get some treatment for your hair loss, but until then, you would likely look and feel much better by shaving your head.
There are several kinds of products and procedures you can use to make your hair look thicker:
However, if your thin hair is the result of hair loss or hair shedding, you may not need to settle for making your hair appear thicker. There may be ways to make your hair actually grow fuller and achieve a better texture and density.
Book a consultation now with one of our top-tier trichologists and get the best advice on how you can thicken your hair. They will provide you with the right diagnosis for your hair thinning and the best hair loss treatment for men.
Whether they will recommend hair growth medication, such as Minoxidil or Finasteride, therapies, such as derma rolling for hair growth or even a fast and efficient hair transplant, following their guidance will set you on the right track to restoring your locks to their former glory.
Comorbidities in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Comprehensive Review
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