A mature hairline typically moves back evenly and is only about an inch above the top crease in the forehead. If the entire hairline recedes further back on the scalp, with a more defined hairline, like a M-shape or a widow's peak, those are signs of a receding hairline.
As people age, it's common, especially in men, for the hairline to recede, usually beginning around the temples. This process is gradual, and while you may be quick to notice it, it's typically not immediately noticeable to others.
By the time many men reach their late 30s, they have a receding hairline. The process usually starts above the temples. From there, the hairline moves back across the top of the head. This often leaves a ring of hair around the top of a bare scalp.
A mature hairline typically starts to appear around the age of 17, but can happen up to the age of 29, and is found in 95 per cent of Caucasian men.
Unfortunately, you can't stop a receding hairline completely. For most people, a receding hairline isn't related to a health condition that needs to be cured. But, there are treatments that could slow a receding hairline down or even encourage some hair to grow back.
While there is a link between some androgens (male sex hormones) and hair loss, the theory that bald guys have more testosterone and thus lose more hair is false.
What Does a Normal Hairline Look Like? There isn't one type of hairline that can be considered “normal.” A hairline, the area where the hair grows out of the head, can look very different from person to person. Some hairlines may be low or high, others have a widow's peak or a cowlick, but all hairlines are normal.
The first sign is a receding hairline, which can appear uneven at first, but then typically develops into a distinct M shape. After this, the hair on the top or back of the head usually begins to fall out, leaving a bald spot. These two signs will then spread and meet, creating a larger bald spot.
It will go from having slightly rounded edges and being quite low, to becoming slightly higher up and less defined. In most cases, you will start seeing a maturing hairline in your teenage years, usually around the age of 17. This does differ from person to person and can happen anywhere between the age of 17 and 29.
Maturation of the hairline continues to a certain time in life. It may start in teen years but it is a long process and ends in a decade, plus minus a year or two. If the hair loss is persistent and does not curb, the hairline might have crossed over to receding from the mere process of maturation.
A mature hairline will recede by approximately 2 to 3 cm above the juvenile hairline. It will not recede any further beyond this point. However, a hairline that is undergoing male pattern baldness will retreat much further beyond this point.
If you have a receding hairline, your hair may stop growing at one or both temples, giving you an “M” shape. Your hairline may also recede straight back horizontally, exposing more of your entire forehead. Lifestyle habits, like wearing too-tight hairstyles every day for years, can cause a hairline to recede.
If your hairline is straight or look like a V-shape, it's probably not a sign of hair loss or balding, but rather a high hairline and a broad forehead.
If your hairline is receding due to male pattern baldness, ageing or other genetic conditions, your hair won't regrow naturally. However, there are treatments available to reverse the process and restore your hair to its former glory.
For men a slightly higher hairline of around 6-8 cms above the eyebrows is considered good. Too low, too high, uneven or receding hairlines are often not a popular choice.
It usually takes 15-25 years to go bald, but can be quicker. Typically, at first the hair begins to thin (recede) at the sides (temples). At the same time, the hair usually becomes thin on the top of the head. A bald patch gradually develops in the middle of the scalp.
The shape a maturing hairline takes usually is an M, meaning you have a peak in the middle of your hairline and it curves back at the temples. While a balding hairline will also start with this shape, a maturing hairline won't continue to recede and the hairline will generally be quite defined as well.
If you've been around a lot of intellectual people who also happen to be balding, it's only natural to wonder if there's a connection between the two. So are intellectual people more likely to have hair loss? The reality is that your intelligence level has nothing to do with your propensity for hair loss.
About 70% of men will lose hair as they get older. And 25% of bald men see first signs of hair loss before age 21. “Recent advances offer a lot of hope in both treating and preventing different types of baldness,” says dermatologist Amy Kassouf, MD.
Going back to the hormones theory, you may be wondering why all men don't experience hair loss if they all produce testosterone and therefore, create the same testosterone by-product. This is thought to be down to the fact that some men create more than others, and some have more receptors than others.
For example, an V-shaped hairline can be indicative of male pattern baldness because hair at the temples and crown are the most sensitive to high DHT levels. Some V hairlines are deep enough to cause a phenomenon known as a widow's peak. The widow's peak is a characteristic sign of male baldness.
One popular myth is that hair loss in men is passed down from the mother's side of the family while hair loss in women is passed down from the father's side; however, the truth is that the genes for hair loss and hair loss itself are actually passed down from both sides of the family.
Results: The data show that after a peak of DHT:T in infancy and a subsequent decrease in puberty, the ratio of both androgens remains practically without change from approx. 20 years of age till old age.
One-fifth of men will experience significant hair loss by age of 20(!), and that percentage grows proportional to age. Bauman says that significant loss increases steadily with age: 30 percent will experience it in their 30s, 40 percent in 40s, and so on. “This math proves true for men into their 90s,” he says.