Thin hair can seriously knock your confidence. A YouGov survey found that a third of men of all ages agreed that they’re afraid of going bald, rising to 59% of those aged 18-24 [1]. But even if you do start to lose your hair, there are ways to address it. And finding a men’s hairstyle for thinning hair that you love is top of the list.
Here, you’ll discover the best haircuts for men with thin hair, from short neat styles to more experimental cuts. Our hair loss specialists have also weighed in on many of these styles to offer expert advice on making the most of your hair with careful styling.
Keep reading this article to discover:
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 mask problem areas on your scalp.
This strong, masculine style is a go-to especially if you are experiencing temple hair loss. Blend the hair into an M-shaped hairline for a youthful, dynamic look. Simply shave the back and sides of your head and fade into your hairline. It works best if you don’t have an advanced receding hairline.
What our hair loss specialist thinks:
“The high fade is a modern way to disguise any light thinning around your temples, whether it’s due to true recession or simple maturing of the hairline. More advanced hair loss around the frontal hairline might not be concealed with this style, but it’s a fantastic entry-level haircut for men with thinning hair.”
The buzzcut is an evergreen, low-maintenance style that makes it easy to disguise your hair loss. It’s really easy to create with clippers at home — just use the same guard all over your head, leaving a little length. This short style can mask a balding spot on the crown which makes it one of the best hairstyles for balding men.
A neat and elegant haircut, the side-swept part takes advantage of your thicker mid-scalp hair to mask light thinning at the crown. It can also 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 rebellious style which works even with a mildly receding hairline. Use hair gel to lift the hair on your crown into a peak. Shaving the sides of your hair short may help blend in any recession at the temples.
“The advantage of this contemporary style is that as well as hiding crown hair loss, you can carefully comb the hair over the temples to hide any thinning here. Many men also choose to grow a beard or stubble to complement the attitude of this look.”
To achieve this simple masculine look, keep the hair on the top of your head longer while shaving the back and sides close. Blend with long stubble to divert attention away from a receding hairline. Keep your hair slightly longer on top to mask mild to moderate thinning on your crown.
Short hair tends to benefit men with light thinning. Wearing it messy adds texture and lift that can mask thinning through the mid-scalp and temples. Use a light-hold gel, wax, or clay to achieve this look.
If your hair is naturally wavy, you can wear certain longer hairstyles for men with thin hair. Your curls will add volume and texture, especially if you tousle it with light hair styling products. For an on-trend twist, grow out your ends slightly into a modern mullet.
“Texture is essential for concealing hair loss across your scalp. Whether you have a receding hairline or mid-scalp thinning, growing your hair out will allow textured waves to cover up any problem patches.
However, men with more advanced balding may wish to steer clear of long styles unless they have sufficient density to achieve a full-looking head of hair.”
A very masculine hairstyle, the flat top buzzcut exudes rigour and confidence. The high fade makes it ideal if you are experiencing temple hair loss, while the bulky top conceals mild to moderate thinning on the crown as well.
A flat top buzz may be less effective if you have advanced hair shedding on top of your head.
A timeless classic, the slicked-back look can cover small to medium-sized bald spots on the crown, especially if styled with extra hold products and hair thickening spray. While slicking back your hair can look great with a widow’s peak, this style may not be suitable if you have more extensive thinning along your hairline.
“Most men don’t develop crown hair loss until after a receding hairline has begun. Slicked-back styles will expose and highlight hairline recession. So consider the pros and cons of slicking back your hair before selecting this cut.”
If you have enough density, a messy, layered fringe can add volume to thin hair. This will help cover up 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 — keep the top slightly longer than the rest and spike it up with some hair gel.
“Short textured hairstyles like this can work even with a receding hairline, even if it does expose a little more of your temples. Jude Law, Bradley Cooper, and many other famous faces choose short stylish cuts like this, despite their thinning hair. Just be mindful that you do need reasonable frontal density to avoid maintain the proportions of your forehead and face.”
Forward-brushed hair can be used to cover a receding hairline and light frontal balding. Grow your hair longer on top to ensure you have the thickness and density to brush it forward successfully. Use clay or wax to keep the hair in place over your temples and hairline.
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 since it has been popularised by action movie stars such as Vin Diesel and The Rock.
Don’t worry if you don’t have time to shave your head every day — a little shadow across the scalp won’t make your hair thinning too obvious. Just try to shave it down every 2-3 days to maintain the look.
Wavy hair (also known as type 2a hair) naturally adds texture and the illusion of volume to any hairstyle. Men with thinning wavy hair can take advantage of this — grow out your hair a little longer to disguise thinning. The texture will also draw attention away from a higher hairline and mild crown hair loss.
“Here, length replaces thickness as a marker of hair fullness. Use effective hair products to enhance and refine your waves for maximum impact. Leave-in conditioners are excellent for this purpose.”
Flat tops work best if you have a thinning hairline but your crown hair is intact. Thicker hair on the crown will draw attention away from a receding hairline, and the fade will blend in any temple recession. Shave your hairline back a few millimetres if necessary to achieve a straighter hairline. Flat tops are ideal for people with curly or Afro hair.
The stylish quiff is versatile and effective for men with hair thinning at the crown. The frontal hair is the point of focus, concealing the crown behind it. It works best when there is sufficient frontal hair to look full when combed up.
Men with an uneven hairline can easily wear a quiff, since its shape and volume detracts from any asymmetry in your hairline.
Men with more extensive hair thinning can embrace their hair loss by copying Jason Statham’s trademark stubble. Shave your head, then let it grow out just enough to get some stubble.
This style won’t conceal the signs of advanced androgenetic alopecia, but if you can pull it off, your hair loss will no longer matter. Pair with stubbled facial hair for a rugged edge.
“Confidence is the key to feeling and looking attractive. For many men, hair is essential to this. But if you can exude confidence with a simple stubble haircut, it’s one of the easiest ways to accept your thinning and style your hair.”
The bro flow involves combing back longer, wavy or curly hair without adding enough product to make it look slicked. This style can work even with a mature or mildly receding hairline. It can also help you mask any thinning on top of your head.
This variation of the surfer hairstyle combines the advantages of forward-brushed hair with wispy bangs. It can mask your receding hairline while at the same time making your fringe look good, even if your hair is thinning. As a result, it’s definitely one of the best hairstyles for a thinning fringe.
Day-to-day, enhance your surfer hairstyle with a spritz of salt spray. This will add beachy texture without weighing down your hair.
“Add choppy layers to boost volume and frame your face. The thinner your hair is, the shorter your layers should be, as this is a simple and effective way to create volume.”
A combination of the short spiky and high fade styles, this hairdo works well for men with a receding hairline and/or early thinning at the crown.
The fade diverts attention from your temples, while the spikes make your crown appear fuller. Just be careful not to use too much product — the wet look is best left in the 90s, especially if your hair is thinning.
While textured hair is easier to wear at medium length even in spite of some thinning, you can make fine, straight hair look fuller by adding layers. They will stop your hair looking flat and make thinning spots less conspicuous.
Wearing a fringe may be risky if you have thin hair. But a choppy fringe can give you some forehead coverage without the need for substantial fullness.
An effective fringe will help you conceal a receding or uneven hairline. A choppy texture will make your bangs work even if they are a little sparse.
“A good stylist can help you achieve the right balance between forehead coverage and fringe fullness. Make sure to discuss your needs and wishes beforehand so they know exactly what you want to achieve.”
Shaggy hair is one of the best options for masking frontal hair loss. Soft face-framing curls draws attention to your eyes and away from any thinning on your scalp.
For this style to work, however, you’ll need reasonable density around the fringe and through the mid-scalp. Use leave-in conditioner to maximise your curls or waves.
Similar to the buzz cut, the classic crew cut is a slightly longer military style. It tapers at the back and the sides while leaving slightly more length at the front.
The crew cut is very versatile and suits most face shapes. It’s an excellent hairstyle for thin hair, as the short sides balance out any thinning on top.
“The crew is a good haircut for thinning hair in its own right. But it can also work well as a transitional cut from longer to shorter hair, if you’re self-conscious about making a dramatic change.”
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. It works best if you aren’t experiencing significant thinning on your hairline.
The short skin fade is ideal for men in the early stages of androgenetic alopecia. The clean-shaven sides disguise temporal hair loss, while the short crown hair makes thinning more difficult to notice (especially if there’s minimal contrast between your skin tone and hair colour).
Straight-shaving the hairline makes it look even and masks those early signs of hair loss.
Similar to the bro flow, the wavy slick back is ideal for men with a wave to their thinning hair. While the curls provide texture, slicking the frontal hair back covers lower top hair density and adds the illusion of volume.
This messy, textured style can also work well if you’re losing hair on one side of the head. Use your fingertips to brush your hair over, creating the illusion of density on the thinning side.
“Wavy styles like this look best when they appear carefree and effortless. That’s why stubble, mid-length beard, and even longer facial hair complement this style very well.”
If your hair is straight, medium length and thinning on one side, try a layered asymmetrical hairdo. Side-combing the frontal layers across will help you disguise one-sided hair loss. Tousle the rest for texture.
A messy fringe can mask early signs of hairline recession, as well as thinning through the crown and temples.
However, to achieve this look, you need good hair density on the sides and top of your head. 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 charactertised by a short, straight fringe with short back and sides. The light fringe means you don’t need dramatic density to make this work.
However, while the Caesar is one of the best styles for a receding hairline, it may not work well with significant frontal baldness.
Frosted tips aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they create a strong, vibrant look that’s sure to detract from any thinning.
Frost the tips of a short, spiky style for a 90s vibe, or opt for highlights if your hair is slightly longer.
“It’s common for men with thinning hair to experiment with bleach and hair dye. And while this can be effective, be mindful of the risks of chemical products on your hair. They’re known to cause damage and breakage, which can make thin hair even thinner.”
A hard-edge Caesar style can be just what you need to fix a messed up hairline. It’s neat, modern and looks good even if it starts higher up your brow.
Simply shave your hairline back to make it as straight as possible (provided you don’t have significant frontal balding). Keep your hair very short to conceal top thinning and fine-textured hair.
Similar to a pompadour, this dramatic hairstyle is perfect for men with good density through the mid-scalp and frontal hairline, but a developing bald spot on the crown.
Cut the sides of your hair short but leave a lot of length on top. Then use hairspray or another light-hold fixing product to brush your hair back, covering your bald spot.
This adventurous hairstyle can cover up hairline recession, temporal hair loss, and even thinning on the crown.
“Don’t underestimate the upkeep of a long hairstyle like this asymmetrical cut. You’ll need to maintain the buzzed side as well as looking after the longer hair with a good haircare routine for thin hair. So consider the maintenance required before opting for this haircut.”
A business cut is a clean, neat hairstyle which exudes professionalism and confidence. The side part allows for crown coverage. Keep your hair in place with light styling products, so it appears smooth and well-kept at all times.
This style works well with receding and mature hairlines. It can be especially attractive if you are greying at the temples, making it one of the most flattering hairstyles for older men with thinning hair.
What our hair loss specialists think:
“Letting your natural hair grow even a little makes it less vulnerable to traction alopecia. This is a hair loss condition that’s common in Black men who wear their hair in tight protective styles.”
The natural hair texture of those with curly hair types can help you mask thinning areas. Keep your hair short enough to retain volume and height, but long enough for your curls to be able to form properly.
Use styling products to arrange your hair 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 rounder face, you may want to opt for a close rather than clean shave. This falls somewhere between a clean shaved style and a buzzcut.
Since it’s very short, a close shave can make thinning areas less conspicuous. It also works well with scalp micropigmentation or hair fibres if your balding is more advanced.
Channel your inner Gallagher brother with this Britpop style. A messy, face-framing haircut, the piecey fringe will cover your hairline without drawing attention to any thinning.
This style 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 hairstyle is ideal for men with straight, thinning hair. Part your hair at the side, then sweep the larger portion of hair across. Fade the sides (a drop fade or taper fade work best).
This haircut can help cover hair thinning at the crown as well as the temples. It’s sure make you look dynamic and confident.
“This hairstyle is very popular among younger men. In fact, it’s one of the most common styles we see post-hair transplant. But it can also help hide thinning in the early stages, particularly around your temples.”
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. The messy frontal hair gives the appearance of extra volume.
Tthis Nordic hairstyle works great to hide thinning hair if you want to keep your long locks (and don’t mind the Viking comparisons). Cleanly shave your head except for the top, then create a loose braid at the back of the head.
This style 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 by your braid.
This textured crop masks both hair loss at the temples and an uneven or receding hairline. Comb your frontal hair forward, while keeping the sides shorter. Any kind of fade works well, though you don’t need to go that short.
You need some texture to pull off this look, so it can fall a little flat if you have straight hair. Salt spray and texturising clay can help add volume if needed.
“While this crop is a good option for those with mild hairline recession, it’s a less effective haircut for men with crown or diffuse thinning. Using hair loss treatments like Minoxidil can keep your crown hair intact, so you can wear styles like this for longer.”
It’s still possible to achieve a youthful, soft, romantic hairstyle despite thinning hair. This boyish cut frames the face with 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. Shorter layers around the crown can help add fullness to the top of your hair if you have light thinning.
Sometimes, you don’t need a whole new haircut — spicing up your old one might do the trick. Bold adventurous types can add vivid colour to detract from any thinning.
Just be careful not to use harsh chemicals on your hair too frequently, as they can cause hair breakage.
Has your hairline become M-shaped? Instead of covering it up, lean into it with a pointed peak hairstyle.
This adventurous cut involves taking advantage of your temple hair loss to create a dramatic pompadour.
This won’t mask your receding temples, but it does make them look bolder and more brilliant. This style can also cover up crown thinning if your hair is long enough.
“If you have the confidence, styles like this are excellent for wearing with mild to moderate frontal thinning. You won’t be self-consciously pulling at hairs to cover your hairline. Instead, you embrace your thinning and make the most of the hair you do have.”
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, consider cutting this shorter to really emphasise your fringe.
If you wear your wavy hair in a quiff, consider creating a wispy fringe by pulling a few tendrils down over your forehead. This 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.
The wolf cut frames your face with messy layers, while allowing you to keep some length through the ends of your hair. 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, try a sports band, bandana, or baseball cap, depending on your style and situation.
“Hats are fantastic for covering up hair loss, but they have other benefits too. The most significant advantage is that it protects your hair and scalp from the sun, limiting UV damage that can make your hair more fragile.”
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, a combover can seriously highlight your hair loss, so this is one to avoid.
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 look good if you have full, thick hair. But 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.
This edgy hairstyle will remove any frontal thinning altogether. But it’s not an everyday haircut for most people, so it’s likely to draw a lot of attention, especially in professional settings. If that’s not for you, consider an alternative adventurous style.
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 hair density by tying it up.
Wearing tight knots or buns in your hair regularly will tug on your follicles, which can lead to hair loss over time. So consider the risks of this style before heading to the barber.
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 — see Jack Grealish’s hair for inspiration.
While giving up long hair can be difficult, you may find that other hairdos 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. A bowl cut can make your low hair density more conspicuous.
The power donut is sometimes worn by men in the latter stages of hair loss. Characterised by a large bald spot on the hairline and crown, most men tend to shave the sides down as well by this stage to reduce the scalp/hair contrast.
Ponytails tend to scrape your hair back and expose any thinning areas dramatically. So they’re best avoided if you have moderate or extensive balding.
Advanced frontal and mid-scalp hair loss can rarely be masked by a comb forward, as it will only draw attention to your baldness. If you want to wear longer styles, your best bet is to see a trichologist about an effective hair loss treatment for your stage of balding.
There can be several reasons why your hair may feel thinner:
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.
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