Why Is My Hair Receding on One Side?

Hair can often recede more quickly or noticeably on one side. This is normally because hair follicles don’t always progress at the exact same speeds or because genetics mean you are more likely to develop a receding hairline that looks a little uneven.

For most people, receding hairlines and one-sided receding hair occurs as part of male pattern baldness, and although frontal hair loss is not unheard of in women, it is far less common.

The best advice to manage hair that is receding on one side is to book a consultation with our expert hair restoration specialists, who can examine your scalp and hair, identify any potential causes, and recommend the right treatment options for you.

While a hair transplant or restoration therapy is entirely subject to your preferences, there are plenty of solutions available, depending on whether you feel that having receding hair on one side is impacting your confidence and self-esteem.

Understanding How Hairlines Recede and Mature Naturally With Age

Our hairlines often remain even and consistent for young adulthood, although some people see changes to their hairline from their teen years and onwards. As we’ve stated, receding hairlines around the temple are far more typical within men but can impact a small proportion of women.

Mature hairlines are a part of ageing, where the hairline gradually and slowly moves higher over time upward from the temples. However, if you are not predisposed to male pattern baldness, this may remain there for many years to come.

Receding hairlines are slightly different because hair loss can occur a little more quickly and proceed progressively higher, leading to balding to the crown if not addressed.

Uneven hairlines, whether a mature hairline or receding hair at the temples are incredibly common, and if we were to measure and calculate the exact dimensions of hair in line with your facial features, we’d expect most people to have some imbalances.

However, it’s also normal for your hair loss to progress at different rates on one side of your head, which can cause self-consciousness, particularly if the speed and noticeability of the hair loss are high.

Receding Hair on One Side and Pattern Baldness

A receding hairline does not mean that permanent and total baldness is inevitable, nor does it always mean that you have indeed experienced pattern baldness or that your hair loss will continue until it reaches the crown and the remainder of your scalp.

There are a few indications that uneven and progressively lopsided hairlines are indicative of pattern hair loss, which we can assess during a consultation.

These include rapid changes in the symmetry of your hairline, the pace at which hair loss is progressing, checking whether hair loss is also present across the width of your scalp or on your crown, your age, and your medical history and lifestyle.

We’d reiterate that if you aren’t particularly worried about an uneven hairline or hair receding on one side, this is unlikely to be harmful to your health in any way, and a mature hairline can be perceived as attractive and distinguished.

That said, if you dislike your hairline, want to reverse hair loss or straighten your hairline, there are certainly treatment options available.

Treating and Correcting Hair Receding on One Side

Step one in any hair loss treatment plan is a cost-free consultation. Much will depend on the reasons and contributing factors behind the one-sided hairline recession, and we cannot recommend a treatment or strategy without verifying that it will deliver the results you want.

For instance, there is the possibility that stress and anxiety, lifestyle factors, and even your hairstyle and use of restrictive, tight headgear could be causing or exacerbating your receding hairline, in which case there could be some quick and easy solutions available.

However, the most common cause is pattern hair loss, and once we have established this, we can discuss the options, depending on the outcomes you want to achieve and whether you’d prefer a non-surgical therapy or a permanent hair transplant.

Options can include:

• Medications and medicated shampoos such as minoxidil and finasteride, which have proven applications in slowing the speed of pattern hair loss and promoting healthier, thicker hair growth.
• Non-surgical treatments like laser hair and platelet-rich plasma therapy, which activate dormant follicles and improve cellular activity in the areas of your scalp impacted by hair loss and thinning.
• Permanent hair transplants, extracting donor follicles, usually from the back of the scalp where hair growth is thickest, provided there are sufficient donor follicles to replenish the side of your temples affected by one-sided receding.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment strategy, nor would we recommend a hair transplant as a foregone conclusion as the only way to reverse and correct an uneven hairline, mature hair, or hair that is receding one side.

Scheduling a consultation with our experienced, regulated, and GMC-registered surgical teams is the best next step, as we can provide more personalised advice at no cost to you.