If you’re starting to experience hair loss, a receding hairline is the first thing you’ll notice. More than 50% of men will suffer from male pattern hair loss at some point in their lives, and as the name suggests, it does tend to follow a pattern.

Generally, a receding hairline is followed by a thinning at the crown. If you’re really unlucky, you might get both at once.

So the good news is that you’re not alone. And that might go some way to soothing your pride, but it doesn’t solve the problem. Luckily, there are a few things you can try to restore your hairline to its former glory. Or at least somewhere near it.

1. Consider changing your hairstyle

If you’re not quite ready to think about hair loss treatments, but would quite like to disguise your receding hairline, why not try a trip to the barber.

Tempting as it might be to grow your remaining hair a bit longer and use it to cover up the thinning areas, expert advice is to do the opposite. By cutting your hair shorter at the back and sides, you will balance out any thinning that might be happening on top.

Another option is to shave it off completely. This might sound extreme, particularly if you’re only at the early stages of hair loss. But remember, without treatment the hairline will continue to recede. And if you choose to shave your head now, it won’t be so obvious to observers that you were pushed into it through hair loss.

If you’re keen to go for the shave, but can’t quite cope with the full skinhead look, you could think about giving SMP a go. This revolutionary treatment uses micro-injections of pigment across the scalp to create the illusion of a buzz cut. You can even choose your own hairline!

2. Hair loss drugs

There are two main contenders currently available in the hair loss drugs market, and there are pros and cons to both of them.

Minoxidil is a topical treatment that is used to widen the blood vessels in the scalp, promoting new hair growth.

Finasteride is taken orally and functions as a blocker to the hormone DHT, which is what causes male-pattern hair loss in the first place.

Both of these drugs are prescription medications, and are proven to be relatively effective. However they do come with side effects, and it is important to seek medical advice before embarking on a course of treatment with either of them.

3. Hair loss products

There are any number of shampoos, hair oils and supplements on the market that claim to treat hair loss, not to mention all the “home remedies” recommended on the internet.

The truth is that there are products and supplements out there that will have an impact on your hair loss, but they do need to have the right formulation. But very little of what is available on the high street is effective.

If you are seriously concerned about hair loss and would like to stop it in its tracks, your first port of call should be a hair loss expert.

For more information or to book a free consultation, please contact us by phone on either 0121 516 1767 (Birmingham) or 020 8159 9060 (London).

The post Receding hairline? Here’s what to do about it appeared first on His Hair Clinic.

If you’re losing your hair but aren’t quite ready to accept it, chances are you’ve got a few tricks up your sleeve to disguise any bald patches. But are they as foolproof as you think?

We’ve rounded up four of the biggest grooming mistakes that balding men make when trying to cover up/distract from their thinning hair, along with some nifty alternatives that just might do the trick.

The modern comb-over

Yes, we all know to avoid the more traditional comb-over look – you know, the one your dad may have sported in the nineties, with a few wispy strands delicately balanced across an essentially baldpate.

But you might not be as far away from that as you think. Plenty of balding men still grow the hair they do have that little bit longer, thinking it will add some volume and distract from the thinning. Brushing it forward to disguise a receding hairline, say, might seem like a great style choice, but in reality it’s pretty obvious what you’re doing.

Do it differently: Try scalp micropigmentation (SMP) to cover thinning areas. This clever little procedure uses pigments injected into the scalp to mimic the effect of hair. You can either use it to disguise bald patches or go the whole hog and shave your head for a buzz cut look.

Blow drying for volume

Perhaps you’ve noticed your girlfriend using the volumising attachment on the hairdryer to give her locks a boost, and decided to try it for yourself? You wouldn’t be alone.

A lot of men like the volumised look that can be achieved by blowdrying close to the roots of the hair. Look a little closer however, and you’ll see that what you’ve actually done is to suck all the moisture out of those roots. This leaves the hairs looking wispier than ever.

Do it differently: Try holding the hairdryer a little further from your scalp. (Experts recommend about eight inches.) Using a round hair brush whilst blow drying can also help to add volume without losing moisture.

Compensating with facial hair

There’s nothing wrong with a bald head and a beard together. But if you’re trying to make up for hair loss by growing more hair on your face, it might not be the best combination. Particularly if the facial hair is no great shakes either.

A balding man with a bit of fuzz on his face is only drawing more attention to his thinning locks.

Do it differently: A shaved head goes much better with a beard than a balding one. If you can’t quite summon up the courage to go completely bald, consider trying SMP and opt for a buzz cut.

Partings, generally

We may have recommended against brushing your hair forwards to disguise your receding hairline, but a severe parting isn’t your friend either, once your hair starts thinning.

Because most balding men start to lose their hair at the top of the head, a centre parting is only going to draw attention to it. And a side parting starts to stray into traditional combover territory. So what is the best option to disguise hair loss?

Do it differently: opt for a shorter style, and either embrace your bald patches, or try SMP to create the illusion of a full head of hair that you have decided to cut short.

If you want to find out more about SMP or if you have any other questions about your own hair loss, then please get in touch with us at HIS Hair.

The post Step away from the comb: 4 common grooming mistakes made by balding men appeared first on His Hair Clinic.