Dealing with a receding hairline

The receding hairline. The first step on the slippery slope to ridicule, social isolation and absence of self-esteem.

Don't panic...I'M JOKING!

Sure, the receding hairline can be the first sign that the battle to keep your curly locks is being lost on the frontline but the war is far from over. Think of the slow retreat of the forward follicles as a call to arms, an opportunity to marshal your forces and send reinforcements.

OK, enough of the military analogies. Firstly, what exactly is a receding hairline? Usually seen in men from their mid-twenties onwards a receding hairline is that most often seen when hair starts to be lost from the sides of the forehead. However, hair is not always lost from the sides first, it can also recede primarily from the centre and more slowly from the sides or indeed the rate of hair loss can be fairly uniform at both the centre and the sides.

What to do when you first notice that your hairline is receding? Well, don't panic. You're not going to go bald overnight. Once you've recovered from the initial shock of discovering that your hair is happier without you, you might want to consider the following options:

1. It's often overlooked, but ask yourself if your hair loss might be a sign of poor health. It's far more likely to be the onset of male pattern baldness (assuming you're a bloke) but if you have any concerns about your health seek professional advice.

2. Assuming that there's nothing wrong health-wise and your receding hairline is the first sign of a natural balding process, speak to a good barber/hairdresser about covering it up. In skilled hands a receding hairline can at the very least be made less conspicuous.

3. If the thought of mentioning your little problem is something you'd rather not do (even though it's probably fairly obvious to your barber) consider some of the following options the next time you go to get your hair cut: grow your hair a little longer on top and have it cut to fall forward, have your hair cut fairly short and sweep it back from the forehead (this won't hide the hairline but will make it look as though you've fully embraced nature's little gift), dye your hair darker to give the impression of more thickness, and finally, the shaven head - it takes some courage to begin with but makes a powerful statement if you have the confidence to carry it off.

4. Start looking into the various treatments available to halt or at least slow down the rate of hair loss, e.g. Minoxidil or one of the Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inhibitors. Find out as much information as you can about these kind of solutions, especially with regard to their rates of effectiveness and the longer term costs involved.

Finally, try to keep your spirits up. Losing your hair isn't the end of the world and above all remember this - the way you react to your hair loss is very often a huge factor in the way others respond to it too.