Whether a friend or loved one, we all know someone who is bald(ing). And according to reports, an estimated 40% of all men suffer noticeable hair loss in their mid-thirties. Even more, 65% of men experience hair loss when aged 60, and 80% of men 80 years old will have recorded considerable thinning of the hair around their temples and crown. But, before you get all jittery and scamper for available treatments, it’s equally noteworthy that reversing a receding hairline or stalling male pattern baldness is literally impossible. So, welcoming this inevitable change and finding practical ways to keep looking good is what you want as you advance in age. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered in this article. So let’s find out more on the causes and stages of a receding hairline and everything else you need to know to keep your ravishing look as you hit your 40s and twilight years.

Understanding the Stages of a Receding Hairline

Sure, adults have a dissimilar hairline pattern to adolescents, but this difference is largely a result of slight marginal hair loss. And depending on the shift in hair growth cycles, most people reportedly lose an average of 100 – 125 strands of hair daily.

With male pattern baldness, however, hair loss is often more prominent and often affects the hairline. This occurs in many stages too, and we’ve compiled these stages and the change in hairline dynamics to expect as they occur:

Stage One: In stage one, male pattern baldness can be detected as receding hairlines occur in a deep and symmetrical manner at the temples. As time progresses, affected areas can become increasingly bear and may overlap with sustained hair thinning at the crown.

Stage Two: As a receding hairline enters stage two, recession becomes deeper in the temple regions and forehead. Crown hair loss additionally becomes more prominent and can be easily seen. As this occurs, moderately thick hair forms a partition between balding regions at the front of the scalp and the crown vertex. However, follicles will still dominate the sides of the head during this period. .

Stage Three: Here, hair loss takes a whole new dimension, with the separating band of hair becoming severely narrow. Additionally, hair loss around the temporal regions and the crown takes sweeping dimensions.

Stage Four: At stage four, hair loss becomes unarguably huge, with only a few strands left separating balding regions at the scalp anterior and the crown. Remaining hair will assume an iconic horseshoe shape noticeably around the middle of the scalp, just as hair loss around the temple regions snowballs massively.

Stage Five: The final and most advanced stage, stage five hair loss is synonymous with a thin wreath of hair around the sides and back of the scalp. In this stage, most people are literally completely bald, barring a few strands of hair scattered around the head.

Causes of a Receding Hairline

Temporary hair loss can be triggered by a number of factors. Some of which include anxiety, iron deficiency and thyroid disease. When caused by these factors, normal hair growth can be achieved by treating underlying problems. Hair loss in these instances may not be marked by distinct stages or a receding Hairline but occurs as detached clumps of hair that results in random bald patches visible in different parts of the scalp. Apart from the aforementioned, hormonal changes can be just as negatively impactful on hair growth, without affecting the hairline. Thus, male pattern baldness – androgenic alopecia – leads the pack in triggering loss of hair in men. The genetic condition is permanent and leads to recession of adult hairlines with advancing age.

Male pattern baldness has always garnered tremendous attention, and while potential causes have been suggested, reliable studies report that dihydrotestosterone( DHT), a sex steroid, is particularly important.

This steroid is heavily linked with masculine attributes and is synthesized from testosterone in different parts of the body, which also includes the hair follicles. In certain cases, an individual may be hypersensitive to DHT, in which case the steroid can galvanize reduced hair follicle growth and hasten a condition referred to as miniaturization.

As DHT attaches to receptor cells of the hair follicles, the follicles soon lose their nourishment, resulting in stunted growth that gives rise to finer, lighter, and sparser hairs.

Final words

A progressive loss of scalp hair can be both challenging and daunting to keep up with. However, having a swift change can be a springboard to living harmoniously with a receding hairline. You want to be as confident as always, and a few tweaks here and there can be all that’s needed.

For starters, you can cultivate a new look by going for a full shave. Changing your wardrobe and matching outfits can also go a long way in keeping you aesthetically appealing all day and every day as you grow older.