As you get older, you may notice that your hairline is starting to look a little lopsided. In fact, up to 25% of men experience noticeable hair loss by the time they’re 21 — so having an uneven hairline is a natural part of ageing.
It can be distressing when your hairline starts to become uneven, especially if it happens at a young age. However, an uneven hairline isn’t always a sign of irreversible baldness — and even if it is, there are steps you can take to restore your hair.
So what causes an uneven hairline, and what can you do to address it?
An uneven hairline is a type of hairline that occurs when the hair follicles around your temples stop producing hair. As the hair stops growing, your hairline changes shape. This usually affects the sides of the forehead initially, creating a kind of M-shaped hairline. However, depending on the cause of your hair loss, you may see a slightly different pattern.
Your hairline can start changing as young as your mid-teens, but it can also begin when you’re older. Men are more commonly affected, but hairline changes can impact women, too. Understanding the cause can help you determine whether your uneven hairline is a sign of hair loss or just a natural part of the ageing process.
Nobody has a perfectly even hairline. Most people have asymmetrical bodies and faces and our hairlines are no different. Even if you’re not experiencing any kind of hair loss, you probably don’t have a completely even hairline.
If your hairline is receding, it’s normal to see unevenness across the hairline, giving the appearance of losing hair on one side of your head. This can cause the hairline to look uneven or imbalanced. While this is natural, it can make you feel self-conscious about your hair.
Before Danny Ings’s hair transplant, the Premier League player had an uneven hairline:
Genetics is the number one factor affecting hair loss. Most hair loss is caused by high levels of dihydrotestosterone, a byproduct of testosterone produced naturally in the body. DHT is responsible for male pattern baldness, which typically causes receding and uneven hairlines.
Male pattern baldness is irreversible without treatment. It’s also the most common type of hair loss in the world, so a significant number of uneven hairlines are caused by this condition.
As you get older, hair growth naturally begins to slow down. This is true for both men and women, although men typically see more noticeable hairline recession.
There’s not much you can do about age-related hair loss, especially if your hairline is simply maturing rather than receding. Hair transplants can help if you still have a healthy crop of hair around the back and sides of the head.
Certain hairstyles and styling methods can cause traction alopecia, a kind of hair loss that results from excessive stress on the hair follicles. This usually results from wearing your hair in dreadlocks, top knots, or tight ponytails.
Traction alopecia is often reversible if it’s caught and addressed quickly enough. Avoiding tight or damaging hairstyles can be enough to stimulate regrowth, straightening the hairline.
A poor diet and high stress levels can cause hair loss, as well as harsh styling choices like vigorous brushing and bleaching your hair. These factors often cause temporary hair loss, so you can stimulate hair regrowth by addressing the root cause.
Eating plenty of foods for hair growth and managing your stress levels can help stop this type of hair loss, known as telogen effluvium. It will then reverse itself over the course of a few months.
Having an uneven hairline can be a sign of hair loss — but it doesn’t always mean you’re going permanently bald from pattern baldness. Most people have a naturally uneven hairline, so this isn’t always a clear-cut sign. You should also consider:
Uneven hairlines are perfectly normal — so there’s no real need to straighten your hairline unless it’s causing you to feel self-conscious. Many men learn to love their maturing hairline as they get older, as they feel it corresponds with their age.
However, if you’re still young and/or your hair loss is impacting your confidence and self-esteem, there are steps you can take to straighten and lower your hairline.
To find out the best course of action for fixing your hairline, it’s important to find out the cause. If diet, stress, or other lifestyle factors are causing you to lose hair, the first step is to address these underlying issues. Find out which foods can promote healthy hair regrowth and the best ways to deal with hair loss related to depression or clinical stress and hair loss.
If your hair loss is genetic (for example, hair loss due to genetic conditions like male pattern baldness or female pattern hair loss), medical intervention is usually needed to restore your hairline. There are a few medical hair restoration options, including:
Treating hair loss is never a one-size-fits-all solution, so to find out the best course of action for you, it’s important to speak to an experienced trichologist.
A hairline transplant can help you straighten out an uneven hairline for good. Provided you’re a good candidate for the surgery, you’ll work with your surgeon to create a hairline that’s both even and natural.
A hair transplant is the best option for those seeking to fix a naturally uneven hairline. While non-surgical options like Minoxidil or Finasteride can help those affected by male pattern baldness, if you’ve had an uneven hairline since childhood, these medications won’t help. Surgical options are your best bet.
Hair transplant surgery is also a great option for those with an uneven hairline due to age-related recession, especially if you’ve already tried non-surgical options. To find out if you’re suitable for an uneven hairline transplant, book a free consultation at your nearest Wimpole Clinic location.
If your asymmetrical hairline is getting you down, book a free consultation with a hair loss specialist. They’ll help you understand and establish the cause of your hair loss, so you can find the right treatment plan to restore your hair.
Learn more about uneven hairlines in these FAQs.
Yes! Whether you choose a hair transplant or a less invasive option, you can fix an uneven hairline if you want to. If you’re not ready for surgery, consider medications, PRP hair therapy, or low level laser therapy to target growth along your hairline.
Some people may notice your hairline becoming uneven if it changes quickly over a short period of time. This is a typical sign of male pattern baldness. However, in many cases, your hairline is much more noticeable to you than to other people. That’s why any treatment should be based on how you feel about your hairline.
No, not always. Some people are born with an asymmetrical hairline, while in others it develops over time due to ageing. If you’re concerned your uneven hairline is due to a hair loss condition, we recommended consulting a trichologist to find out more.
Yes, they are very common. Most people have some degree of asymmetry within their hairline, even if it’s not that visible to others.
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