It’s no exaggeration: humankind has spent thousands of years searching for ways to reverse the direction of a receding hairline.
Between genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors, a receding hairline is simply a fact of life for the majority of men after a certain age, and women often experience thinning on the scalp as well – what can be done?
While we are still a ways off from a universal cure to hair loss, many treatments have emerged from the halls of science and clinical studies. These aren’t just theories – plenty of evidence exists to back them up.
Let’s break down all you need to know about receding hairline treatments in 2021, starting with natural methods and scaling up to surgical procedures.
Sometimes, the best treatments for a receding hairline involve no medicine, no surgery, and experimental therapies.
Natural remedies can do the trick for many patients, so start here before exploring more serious treatment options.
The pace and pressure of the modern world has taken its toll on hairlines everywhere.
Not only is stress bad for hormonal balance in general, but it also leads people to eat poorly, sacrifice sleep, skip the gym, and partake in other bad habits that accelerate hair loss.
That’s why a healthy lifestyle overhaul is the place to start any treatment regimen for receding hairline, whether you’re male, female, 25 years old, or 75.
By working on habits like exercise, sleep hygiene, stress reduction, and a well-rounded diet, you put your body in the best condition to maximize blood flow to the scalp and produce strong, healthy hair throughout.
Moreover, living a healthy lifestyle is simply a smart move for your total well-being and longevity, so making these changes are a good idea in general.
Most health food stores and online shops carry some type of supplement designed to boost hair growth. These products usually contain vital vitamins, minerals, and other compounds that promote healthy skin, hair, and nails.
Keep an eye out for products including biotin, collagen, keratin, and other natural ingredients that help hair grow stronger and slow the process of receding.
These solutions are not guaranteed but certainly worth trying considering the low cost and simplicity of these regimens.
Another popular natural remedy is essential oils, which can be mixed with coconut or castor oil and applied directly to the scalp with water and massage.
Peppermint is considered helpful in stimulating hair growth and providing a pleasant “tingling” sensation on the scalp. At the same time, oils from lavender, rosemary, and other plants may help to strengthen existing follicles.
Treating a receding hairline is about saving healthy hair, in addition to sparking new growth. Essential oils may be better for prevention, but little research has been done on reversing hair loss to great effect.
Clinical studies have supported only a handful of medicines to show effective treatment for receding hairlines. However, these drugs are prescribed widely, with few side effects and many positive testimonials.
Patients should keep in mind that results from these medications last only as long as they’re administered – stopping the use of these drugs will result in continued or accelerated hair loss.
Finasteride and Minoxidil have been the only two medicinal treatments approved by the FDA and have been used for decades to deliver great results to patients worldwide.
While Finasteride is administered in a once-a-day pill form, Minoxidil is a topical solution applied directly to the target area of the scalp twice a day.
Finasteride works as a DHT inhibitor, meaning it combats the mechanism of male hormones in the scalp linked to androgenetic alopecia in men.
Minoxidil is appropriate for use by both men and women. It works as a vasodilator, increasing blood flow in the scalp and delivering fresh oxygen and nutrients to the follicles.
These drugs are often prescribed in tandem to yield maximum results for men, especially with alternative non-surgical therapies and procedures such as hair transplantation.
The drugs are widely available over the counter and online, but for best results, patients should consult with a hair restoration professional and map out a comprehensive strategy for treatment.
Many shampoos and conditioners containing hair growth and optimization ingredients have been released over the years, with varying formulations and results.
Common active ingredients include minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, and essential oils like peppermint, lavender, and tea tree oil. Caffeine is also a common ingredient in newer hair loss shampoos.
Some products also contain ayurvedic herbs like ashwagandha to strengthen hair at the root, but evidence to show a reversal in hair loss is insufficient.
Hair loss specialists will sometimes prescribe medicated shampoos that combat flaking or psoriasis to address issues that accelerate receding hairlines, but these tend not to be available over the counter.
Several advanced, non-surgical therapies for receding hairlines have come into the picture in the past decade, with thousands of success stories for patients in the US and beyond.
Like other treatments, ongoing therapy is required to see continued results, so long-term time and cost commitments must be factored in when creating a custom hair loss strategy.
Using short, non-heated UV rays known as “red light,” these low-level laser therapies have shown promising results in applications from tissue repair and scar reduction to anti-aging and hair regeneration.
This treatment can be administered via direct exposure of red light to the scalp or the entire body in a tanning bed configuration.
In this new treatment, platelets containing hair-growth proteins and enzymes are isolated from a sample of the patient’s own blood, then injected directly to the target area on the hairline or crown.
PRP is still considered an experimental treatment, and studies have not yet been conclusive in terms of effectiveness, but early evidence shows satisfactory results for patients after several months.
Microchanneling belongs to a category of therapies that uses thin, short needles to make tiny punctures in the skin and promote collagen production.
This collagen boost, along with the release of growth hormones and enzymes, promotes a youthful appearance and may be useful in reversing the trend of hair loss on the scalp.
Patients looking for faster, permanent results for hairline restoration often choose to take the surgical route once other options have been exhausted.
Here are the best surgical hair restoration procedures available in 2021.
Known unofficially as a “hair tattoo,” SMP is a process by which small, shaded dots of ink are applied in a design to the scalp, meant to replicate the appearance of close-buzzed hair.
SMP is a relatively new treatment, but many patients have been thrilled with the aesthetic outcome and long-term convenience.
Patients interested in SMP should avoid unlicensed practitioners and only seek treatment from proven technicians with technical and artistic proficiencies in this field. It is best to go to a clinic where the procedure is overseen by an M.D.
Despite the advancement of new therapies across the board, traditional hair transplant surgery is still the most effective, permanent option for hairline restoration in 2021.
FUT, or STRIP surgery, is the most commonly practiced method whereby surgeons harvest hair via a linear strip of skin from the back of the patient’s head.
Follicle units can then be dissected from this strip of the skin by the thousands so that surgeons can implant healthy hair directly to the target area of the hairline or crown.
The main advantages of FUT are hair volume, quality, and affordability. However, a small linear scar may be visible from the extraction point on the donor area if hair is worn in a buzz or fade cut
FUE solves the issue of scarring on the back of the head using targeting individual follicle units for precise harvesting and implantation.
The tradeoff with FUE is a lower volume of hair, higher transection rate (damage to follicles), and a more expensive treatment process.
Depending on the scope and severity of hair loss, patients can opt for either FUT or FUE, but a trusted hair restoration expert will help to point you in the right direction for optimal results.
There’s no time like the present to address a receding hairline since all forms of treatment are most effective when the trend is first noticed. Time and technology are on your side.
From natural remedies to next-gen laser therapies and surgeries, 2021 is the best time in history to tackle hair loss at multiple levels.
Don’t just pick one or two options from this list of treatments and hope for the best – team up with a hair loss professional and create a custom plan for outstanding results.
Sources:
Receding Hairline Women | Cosmopolitan
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