Receding Hairlines: Let's Get To The Root Of The Issue + 6 Expert Ways To Treat It

Some hair loss is standard: On average, you shed about 50 to 100 strands on the daily, and it's likely nothing to write home about, save for a clumped hairbrush. It's when you notice that widow's peak expanding or the temples looking a bit bare that may have you peering into the mirror, wondering: Uh, is my hairline receding? 

Short answer? It might be, for a number of reasons (not all of them permanent). And while you can't exactly fix a receding hairline overnight, there are ways to stop the recession in its tracks, even reverse the damage in some cases. 

For men, the biggest factor for a receding hairline is just genetics. It's a process called androgenetic alopecia (commonly referred to as male-pattern baldness), and it happens like this: "High levels of androgen in the body produce a hormone called Dihydrotestosterone, which binds to certain proteins in the body," says Ziering. "It's not necessarily the amount of testosterone or DHT present that ultimately causes baldness; it can be more about the sensitivity or reactivity of the hair follicles, which is genetic. This in turn reduces follicle size, which results in miniaturization, delayed growth, and thinning of the hair. Eventually, the follicle will cease to function and produce new hair growth." 

While women can totally experience hereditary and age-related hair loss, there are some other factors to keep in mind. Usually, "Causes in receding hairlines for women are frontal fibrosing alopecia or traction alopecia," Ziering notes. "Fibrosing alopecia is an autoimmune condition that has the body mistakenly attack the follicles, which results in follicular damage or scarring. It is not very common, and it mostly affects postmenopausal women." The theory here is that postmenopausal women have a low-estrogen environment around the hair follicles1, which is thought to trigger the fibrosing alopecia process. But again, it's not so common. 

Traction alopecia, however, is much more commonplace—it's a medical condition that results from long-term damage on the hair. It usually stems from consistent, too-tight hairstyles like "braids, weaves, buns or tight ponytails, especially on chemically treated hair," says Ziering.

"While it is still possible for women to have a receding hairline, they are more likely to experience thinning hair," says Ziering. And "for women who experience thinning, often the recession is not front-to-back but more from the center area outward."

Granted, there's not much you can do about genetics and aging—however, there are more than a few ways you can slow the process once receding has begun. Although, treating the condition may differ depending on whether your hair loss is scarring (like fibrosing alopecia) or non-scarring, so be sure to get to the root of the issue first. 

"If it's not hereditary, there are strategies to keep follicles healthy and hair growth strong, starting with a well-balanced diet," says Ziering. "Vitamins and minerals are an essential part of healthy hair growth." Specifically, he mentions omega fatty acids and antioxidants to help neutralize the free radicals that lead to oxidative stress2 (and hair aging). That said, foods high in antioxidants or a vitamin-rich supplement can help support healthy hair. 

Collagen and biotin supplements, in particular, have proved to be particularly effective, like in mindbodygreen's grass-fed collagen+. Collagen is chock-full of the amino acids your body uses to make keratin (or what hair is made of); biotin has been shown in several studies to promote and maintain hair growth. This powder also contains several antioxidants like vitamins C and E.

"When scalp and follicle function is optimal, hair strength, thickness, and vitality are also optimal," Ziering notes. Make sure you're properly cleaning and stimulating the scalp, in order to fight off inflammation and keep the environment balanced. (Read: Too much buildup on the scalp can suffocate the follicles and even lead to hair loss in some severe cases.)

Some medicated topicals can actually enlarge the follicles and extend the growth phase of hair, says Ziering. A popular FDA-approved option is the vasodilator minoxidil (commonly branded as Rogaine), which you apply directly to the scalp in either a spray or foam solution.

According to board-certified dermatologist Iris Rubin, M.D., founder of SEEN Hair Care, the topicals are most effective to use as a preventive measure: "It's much better at prevention actually than regrowth, and it takes months to work," she explains. (Since all of your strands encounter different phases of the hair growth cycle—growth, resting, and falling out—it takes quite some time for the topicals to benefit each and every hair on your head.)  

Also according to Rubin, sometimes people mistake hairline breakage for a receding hairline. "Often people will have broken hairs in the front of their hair, and that can mimic to some extent the hairline receding," she says. The key to preventing that breakage along the hairline is to take a breather from daily heat styling and make sure you're not physically tearing or overprocessing your strands.