In short
A receding hairline is usually the first sign of male pattern hair loss. It can be slowed, and the earlier you look at it the more there is to keep.
On this page
A receding hairline is usually the first sign of male pattern hair loss. The hair at the temples thins and moves back, often leaving an M shape. It tends to be gradual, and it runs in families.
What a receding hairline looks like
- The corners of the hairline, above the temples, sit further back than they used to.
- The hair at the front is finer and shorter than the hair at the sides.
- Old photos show a lower, straighter hairline.
A mature hairline is different. Most men’s hairlines move up a centimetre or so between their late teens and late twenties and then stop. If yours has kept moving, or the hair behind it is thinning, that points to male pattern hair loss.
What causes it
Male pattern hair loss is driven by genes and by a hormone called DHT, which the body makes from testosterone. In men who inherit the tendency, DHT slowly shrinks the hair follicles at the temples and crown. Each new hair grows in thinner and shorter, until the follicle stops producing visible hair. It has nothing to do with how much testosterone you have, or with hats or shampoo.
Want a GP to look at your hair loss?
An Australian GP can confirm the cause by phone or video and go through what’s realistic for you.
Other reasons a hairline can change
- Traction. Tight hairstyles pull on the front hairs over years.
- Shedding after illness or stress. This thins hair all over, not just at the temples, and usually recovers.
- Scarring conditions. A hairline that recedes evenly in a band, with loss of eyebrows or a shiny scalp, needs a doctor to look at it.
What helps
Treatment is better at keeping hair than bringing it back, so timing matters. The options with good evidence are a prescription tablet that lowers DHT, and a solution or foam applied to the scalp that you can buy from a pharmacy. Both take three to six months to show an effect, and both only work while you keep using them. Hair transplant surgery moves follicles from the back of the head to the front, and suits men whose loss has stabilised. Our guide to hair loss treatment for men goes through each one.
When to see a GP
See a GP if the change is fast, patchy or comes with itching, redness or scaling, or if you’re losing hair elsewhere. Otherwise, it’s worth a conversation when it starts to bother you. A GP can confirm the cause, usually without tests, and explain what’s realistic.
Next step: talk to a GP
Request an appointment and we’ll be in touch to arrange a time. A consultation doesn’t guarantee a prescription.
References
- Healthy Male: Hair loss
- Australasian College of Dermatologists: Male pattern hair loss
- Healthdirect Australia: Hair loss
This guide is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t replace a consultation with a doctor who knows your history. In an emergency, call 000.