You'll notice the signs of a receding hairline if your hair begins to thin at the temples, creating a more prominent widow's peak and a hairline that resembles the letter M or a horseshoe. Or your hairline might seem to recede or thin all the way across (Murphrey, 2021).
While you may feel like you are too young to start losing your hair in your teens, the reality is that hair loss can begin as early as 15 or 16 years old. While it's uncommon, hair loss in your teens tends to come on gradually, beginning with thinning hair or a receding hairline.
The most obvious of the stages of hair loss is a noticeable change in your hairline that you can clearly see. Baldness often begins in the hairline, with the flat or mildly receded hairline you previously had turned into a more obvious M-shaped hairline — basically, bald with hair on sides.
The first signs of balding may be so subtle that you might not even notice they are happening until your hair loss has progressed significantly. In general, the first signs of balding include a receding hairline, increase in hair shedding and a more visible scalp.
When to see a doctor. See your doctor if you're concerned about how much hair you are losing every day. A gradual thinning on the top of your head, the appearance of patchy or bald spots on your scalp, and full-body hair loss are signs that there may be an underlying health condition.
If you're having a hard time understanding whether you have fine or thin hair (or both), the best thing to grab a handful of hair in your fist, if it's long enough. Then looking in the mirror, look at the roots. If you can easily see your scalp through the hair, it's thin. If you can't, it's medium or thick.
The Ludwig scale defines three broad stages of hair loss. In stage 1, the hair on the top of the head begins thinning. In stage 2, the scalp starts to become visible. In stage 3, all of the hair at the crown may be lost, resulting in baldness.
Although hair re-growth may be possible, you should also know when to seek professional help. If the reason for thinning hair is genetics, it will not grow back on its own. To grow back a healthy, full head of hair, you'll need to take action, and that involves reviewing different hair loss options.
Unfortunately, male and female pattern baldness is not reversible without surgical intervention. However, if detected early enough, certain medications, such as minoxidil, finasteride, and Dutasteride can help halt the progression of thinning hair.
Here's the hard truth: Little can be done to permanently change the diameter of individual hair strands. Thickening products can do wonders to temporarily plump hair strands, but when it comes down to it, fine hair is genetic and can't be changed.
In men, hair often begins to recede at the hairline on the forehead. Women typically have a broadening of the part in their hair. An increasingly common hair loss pattern in older women is a receding hairline (frontal fibrosing alopecia).
The hairline is only about one to 1.5 inches above your highest wrinkle. This is typically as far as a mature hairline will recede. If your hairline is about the width of your finger above the top wrinkle, you probably have a mature hairline. If it's receding onto your scalp, it may mean balding.
Unlike widespread hair loss, thinning hair doesn't necessarily cause baldness. It does, however, give the appearance of sparser spots of hair on your head. Thinning hair typically happens gradually, which means you have time to pinpoint the causes and figure out the best treatment measures.
It's totally normal, especially when the hair is wet or under bright light, including camera flashes. If you start to see the scalp more over time, it could be a sign of naturally thinning hair (which happens to us all as we age) or the start of Male Pattern Baldness, especially if it's showing more in certain areas.
Temporary hair loss is any form of hair loss that is generally triggered by a stressful event or a change in your normal, everyday events and habits. Temporary hair loss can occur anywhere between 2-4 months after the event that triggered it and can last up to 6-months.
Some types of hair loss are permanent, while others are temporary. The most common types of hair loss include: Androgenic alopecia: This type of hereditary baldness can affect anyone (male pattern baldness or hair loss in women).
Stress and hair loss don't have to be permanent. And if you get your stress under control, your hair might grow back. If you notice sudden or patchy hair loss or more than usual hair loss when combing or washing your hair, talk to your doctor.
It'll take at least six months of treatment to prevent further hair loss and to start hair regrowth. It may take a few more months to tell whether the treatment is working for you.
Telogen hair, or 'resting' hair, comprises around 15% of the hair on a person's scalp. Periods of elevated stress can lead to this hair being temporarily lost, contributing to a visibly thinner scalp and hairline.
Pull Test and Tug Test
This simple test measures the severity of hair loss. During a pull test, a dermatologist grasps small sections of hair, about 40 strands, from different parts of the scalp and gently tugs. If six or more strands fall out, you have what's known as active hair loss.
Androgenetic alopecia – in women, hair generally thins in the top, frontal area, just behind the hair line, but stays thick at the back. An enzyme causes conversion of the male sex hormone testosterone to another hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), causing the hair follicles to produce thinner hair until they stop.