As someone whose hairline began a fast retreat starting in my mid-twenties, I can speak firsthand about the issues I had to deal with as my dreams about having a full head of hair became just that. I won’t grind you through all the patchy details, but embarrassment and humiliation were at the top of the list, along with a profound loss of confidence.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Men seeking haircuts for receding hairlines have options now, and they don’t include bad choices like combovers, cover-your-eyes hairpieces, and toupees. You don’t necessarily have to resort to surgery, either if you don’t want to — there are plenty of haircuts and styles that will keep you looking sharp, so let’s go there and help you figure out your top choices.
Lean into your loss for haircuts with a receding hairline
The first rule when it comes to choosing the right haircut for your receding hairline is to lean into your hair loss. But what does that mean, exactly? To gain a fuller understanding, we turned to David Connor, the owner and curator of the Anti-Gravity Salon in New Orleans, who validates this basic approach.
“The more you try to cover the receding hairline with length or longer hair, the more it looks like you’re trying to cover it and work against it,” Connor summarizes. “When I design a style for a client that has a receding hairline, we work with the recession instead of against it. By that I mean we don’t want to grow the hair long and make it look like a toupee just to cover recession.”
As part of this approach, Connor incorporates a thorough hairline assessment. That means looking at the natural texture of the hair and how far back the recession extends, then trying to pinpoint certain areas where the hair could effectively be grown out. That new growth is sometimes balanced by keeping other areas shorter, but there are plenty of ways to make a receding hairline look good.
“Every hairline is different and there are actually quite a bit of solutions,” he explains. “Ultimately, I follow the same laws as [I would for] someone with a full hairline. What does the overall silhouette look like? Which makes the [client] feel most confident?”
Specific cuts and styles for a receding hairline
We’ll start with a basic choice that involves growing out some hair to cover the recession.
“The ‘swept over part’ or ‘push over part’ is one of my favorites for gentlemen with receding hairlines,” Connor explains. “It’s not a side part, the hair is pushed over without a part line, and the hair is allowed to cover both recession points.”
For those who don’t have enough hair to get this kind of look, he typically turns to a shorter solution.
“[Another possibility] is a low buzzed haircut, generally a number two [clipper setting] or shorter,” he says. “It displays confidence and strength. Showing the receding hairline completely takes away the hold that it has on the overall look.”
Finally, there’s the crop haircut, which Connor indicates is another good way to rescue a receding hairline. The rule of thumb here is that the recession can’t extend too far backward into the scalp, and if that’s the case, the crop can provide support and cover-up.
The psychology of receding hairline styles: The confidence factor
Physical concerns with hairline and hair thickness aren’t the only considerations when dealing with a receding hairline, however. Sometimes barbers and stylists become de facto psychologists, and that’s definitely true when clients come to them with receding hairlines. Loss of confidence often hovers in the background for many of these men, and stylists like Connor must help clients think positively about the recommendations for their receding hairlines.
“First and foremost, I ask questions to see how my client feels about it,” Connor says of his starting psychological starting point. “How much does it bother them? Then I take the time to be there for them — as soon as I can. I focus on the most important thing, [which is] being solution-based.”
From there, he adds, the process is about tightening up that solution and selecting the right look that will make the client feel the most confident. Once again, key questions are an essential part of the process.
“[Do] we need to bring the hair significantly shorter? Do we need to redesign the hairline?” Connor asks. “Is it time to finally cut the excess length and show the receding hairline?
“We also talk about different tips and tricks in styling to add more fullness, and different [prescription] options that are accessible to them in our salon and over-the-counter and even potentially from their doctor.”
Products can help, too
Those questions often lead to a conversation about specific products. For Connor, the goal is to recommend products that will maintain a clean and pH-balanced scalp environment.
“We also recommend products that will give a thickening effect to the hair,” he adds.
Those products may even include hair loss options. DHT blockers are one possibility, as are over-the-counter alternatives. The goal with these is to prevent what Connor calls the “suffocation of the hair follicle” that helps lead to thinning. Products like minoxidil are also on the table to help maintain hair density and prevent further hair loss, but the tradeoffs with doing this have to be carefully considered.
“There is a lifetime commitment,” Connor states about the need to keep using these products to maintain whatever gains they make possible. “A good way to look at it is if you choose this route every time you brush your teeth in the morning and at night, you will apply the product to prevent any further hair loss.
“If you do stop slowly over time, your hair will revert back. These products take time to work, and expectations must be realistic. Some results take up to six months, but it is a great preventative.”
Styling products represent more familiar ground for professionals like Connor, and he cites three product subcategories in his typical recommendations.
“As far as styling, I recommend as a primer, a volumizer, [and a] mousse or spray,” Connor begins. “As a finisher, a texture powder or wax [will fill in] these spaces in between the hairs and add fullness.
“I also advise my clients to stay away from products that will clump the hair together like gels, pomade, paste that have shine to them, as this will show more scalp or hairline inconsistencies.”
Make your barber your new best friend
The bottom line in all this is that it’s almost always a good idea to enlist the help of a stylist or barber and make that person a part of your process to get the best haircut for your receding hairline.
“There are so many options that you and your barber/hairstylist can put together as far as looks,” he says. “Sometimes creating a new identity with your recent receding hairline is all a part of the journey.”
