Having a messed up hairline can have a serious impact on your self-confidence. It can make you want to hide your hair or face, inadvertently drawing attention to your problematic hairline.
Whether you have a mature or receding hairline, a failed hair transplant, or you’ve just had a bad trip to the barbers, here are all the major causes of a messed up hairline and what you need to do to fix it.
What causes a messed up hairline?
When we talk about a messed up hairline, we don’t mean widow’s peaks or naturally uneven hairlines. Many people have asymmetrical or pointed hairlines that look great, and aren’t a cause for concern.
However, some people are unhappy with their hairline for other reasons. Here are four of the most common causes of a bad hairline.
1. A bad haircut
Whether it’s a bad DIY job or a barber gone rogue, a bad haircut or line up can easily cause a bad hairline.
2. Genetics and hormones
Male pattern baldness is caused by a combination of genetics, age, and a hormone known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). These factors often lead to a receding hairline or M-shaped hairline.
3. Bad hair transplant
If your hair transplant goes wrong, it can leave you with an unnatural-looking hairline characterised by lack of density or limited hair growth, as demonstrated by these two patients who had hair transplants in Turkey.
4. Traction alopecia
Traction alopecia is a type of hair loss caused by tight hairstyles tugging at and damaging the follicles. Hairstyles that often lead to traction alopecia include weaves, braids, scraped-back ponytails and buns.
Do dreads mess up your hairline?
Dreadlocks are a major cause of traction alopecia. Traction alopecia often causes hair loss around the hairline, and is common in people with Black hair types who are more likely to wear their hair in dreadlocks:
Do hats mess up your hairline?
Hats don’t normally mess up your hairline, despite the myth that wearing hats may cause hair loss. In fact, one study suggests they can actually prevent hair loss [1].
That said, if your hat is too tight, it could restrict the blood flow to your scalp and pull on your follicles, which probably won’t help your hairline. So make sure any hats you wear are a good fit.
Can shaving your head mess up your hairline?
No, shaving your head won’t have any impact on your hairline. If you’ve had a bad haircut and you want to regrow your hair from scratch, you can safely shave your head without worrying about how your hairline will grow back.
How to fix a messed up hairline
There are lots of options for fixing a messed up hairline. It all depends on the cause and how keen you are to address your hairline problems.
Here are nine ways to fix a messed up hairline.
1. Be patient
If your hairline is messed up as a result of a dodgy haircut or too-tight styling, the best thing to do is wait it out. Depending on how long your hair is, it may be just a matter of weeks before your hairline resets itself. In the meantime, you can wear a hat to hide your hairline.
2. Ask your barber
If your line up doesn’t look quite right, ask your barber for options on how it can be fixed or improved.
It may be too late to do anything about it, in which case your best bet is to wait it out. But your barber may be able to offer some styling tips, or recut your hairline to your taste.
3. Wash your hair often
Add volume to your hair by washing it regularly, ideally at least every other day.
For extra fast regrowth, try washing your hair with a caffeine shampoo like Alpecin. You can usually leave the shampoo on your hair for up to half an hour, which can increase the caffeine absorption. Leave-in caffeine hair treatments may also be effective.
4. Cut your hair short
If your hairline issue is caused by a barber mishap, cutting your hair short can mask your messed up hairline while your hair regrows.
Buzzcuts are popular with tons of bald celebrities, so if you’re after a bold new look that hides your problematic hairline, grab the clippers and go for a short shave all over.
5. Try a new hairstyle
Not everyone can or wants to rock a buzzcut. But there are plenty of other great hairstyles for a receding hairline.
From cutting in a fringe to slicking back your hair, find a new style to hide your hairline. This is a great option for all causes of a bad hairline, as there are options for all hair textures and lengths.
6. Use Minoxidil
Minoxidil is one of the most popular non-surgical hair loss treatments. It’s a topical solution you can apply to your hairline to stop hairline recession and stimulate regrowth.
Minoxidil isn’t usually necessary if you’re just waiting for your hair to regrow after a bad trim. But if you want to use Minoxidil for a receding hairline, it can help your hair start to grow back after around three to six months of use.
7. Try Finasteride
Finasteride for a receding hairline is only effective if you have male pattern baldness, which is caused by genetics and hormones. It won’t work for other hairline problems, but can help restore a receding hairline if it’s used early enough.
If Finasteride doesn’t cut it, you may be able to try Dutasteride at your trichologist’s recommendation.
8. Get a hair transplant
A hair transplant is the only way to permanently restore a hairline that’s thinned due to genetic and hormonal factors. A hairline transplant is one of the more costly ways to fix a messed up hairline, but it’s extremely effective, and the results will be permanent:
Learn about gratfs and how many you may need for a hair transplant.
9. Try scalp micropigmentation
Scalp micropigmentation (SMP) creates the illusion of hair density without the invasiveness of a hair transplant. It involves tattooing tiny dots onto your scalp, creating the appearance of a shaved head.
Many people choose to have SMP alongside a hair transplant, as it makes the hairline appear straighter while your new hair grows in. So it can be less obvious you’ve had a hair restoration procedure.
What should you do about your messed up hairline?
First, you need to understand the cause of your hairline woes. If it’s down to a bad haircut or traction alopecia, the best thing to do is to take good care of your hair while you wait for it to regrow. That means:
- Avoiding heat styling that can lead to hair loss.
- Not wearing your hair in tight hairstyles.
- Washing and conditioning your hair regularly.
- Eating a healthy diet with plenty of hair growth foods.
However, if your hairline is messed up as a result of a failed hair transplant or male pattern baldness, you may need to take clinical action. Non-surgical hair loss treatments like Minoxidil and Finasteride should be your first port of call, especially if you’re in the early stages of hair loss.
For those who’ve already had a hair transplant, or have extensive hair loss across the scalp, a hair transplant may be the most effective way to address your hairline problems. If you’re considering a hairline transplant, see how much a receding hairline transplant costs.
Talk to a specialist ☎ 020 7935 1861.
Book a consultation
Simply fill in your details in the form below and we'll get in touch with you shortly.