What is Mature Hairline 2022 | Identification, Causes, Treatment
Our hairlines can be a cause of major anxiety in our late teens and adulthood. Unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise, stress, and other genetic factors can bring about a change in our hair over the years
Hair, being one of the first things we notice is a person can play a huge role in elevating our confidence. Hence people start panicking when they find some hair stuck in their comb or notice that their hairline is receding.
Very few people are informed about the stages our hair goes through as we move from teenage years to adulthood. Most of them just tend to misdiagnose themselves when they notice hair fall or thinning.
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In fact, it is absolutely normal for any individual to lose about 50- 100 strands of hair a day. Anything more than that is a wake-up call for a doctor's visit.
Receding hairline is a major cause of worry for many young adults who suddenly notice a change in their hairline. They immediately start panicking and start relying on medicines, supplements, hair products etc which promise positive results.
But what exactly is mature hairline and why is it misdiagnosed so much by the masses?
We have put together a comprehensive list of the causes, remedies and what exactly it means to have changes in your hairline while transitioning to adulthood.
What Is a Mature Hairline
It is a little known fact that our hairline can change just like every other part of our body while making the inevitable transition from teenage to adulthood. This usually happens from late teenage years to your late twenties.
Just like every other part of the body, the scalp can go through changes that are only prominent over time. Once we notice it, we start to panic because we think that we are going bald.
In fact, Hairline maturation is something that is so normal that it happens to almost everyone in one way or the other. Around 96% of men experience mature hairline.
Juvenile hairline v/s Mature hairline v/s Receding hairline
The early hairline that you have in your teens is referred to as juvenile hairline. This is usually a straight hairline with rounded corners.
Only a few older men tend to retain their juvenile hairline because it usually changes as we grow up. It gradually moves back as you grow older.
Most men start seeing changes in their juvenile hairline between 17 - 29 years since it starts changing shape.
Mature hairline is usually a subtle transformation to your juvenile hairline as your age. Many consider this as a beginning of their baldness but it is just your hairline growing as you grow older.
We face a lot of changes in our physical body as we transition from the age of 17-29, we gradually start the process of ageing as well.
But very few people are aware of the fact that it is completely normal for our hairline to move a little upwards as we mature.
A receding hairline is a very common phenomenon because of which many get confused between the mature hairline and receding hairline.
It can be caused by genetic factors, stress, alopecia, unhealthy lifestyle etc. Because of this, the hairline moves upward, across the top of the head, leaving a ring of hair around the top of a bare scalp in men. In women, the top part of the scalp thins considerably.
Identifying matured hairline
In order to identify if you have a mature hairline or receding hairline, here is a little trick. Place your finger horizontally on the highest wrinkle on your forehead.
If your hairline sits above the finger, you can breathe a sigh of relief because that is probably a mature hairline. This is around 1 - 1.7 cm above the wrinkle. Your hairline corners will also recede similarly.
If your hair is still receding into your scalp, it is time to pay attention to it because it is most likely a sign of balding. This is often accompanied by hair thinning, which is a sure sign that you are balding.
Most of the time, the hair moves back evenly when it comes to mature balding. Matured hairline also has specific shapes of receding which is usually an M or a Windows Peak. The M shape helps in making the hairline well defined
A Window's Peak hairline is when there is a downward “V†shape at the center of your forehead. It can be very subtle in most and it becomes more prominent when you pull your hair back.
Why does the hairline mature?
Testosterone is one of the most abundant hormones found in the human body. It plays a major role in determining the hair-growth in our body.
The level of DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), which is a result of testosterone metabolising in your body, determines the state of your hairline.
High levels of DHT in your system can make your hair grow thinner and weaker and eventually cause hair fall. It causes the hair to fall by binding itself to the hair follicles.
It, therefore, leads to a matured hairline in most men but if DHT is excessively produced by your body, it can lead to baldness.
There are medications which can reverse the excessive DHT produced in a human body. The two main types are Blockers and Inhibitors, which prevent the DHT from binding to your hair follicles and reduces the body’s production of DHT.
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How to deal with a mature hairline?
A matured or a receding hairline can be a cause of worry for many since it is an important part of our look and it affects our confidence and self-esteem.
There are, however, many treatment options available that can give long term and short relief to your receding and mature hairline.
Here is a list of the latest treatments available today from which you can choose a viable option for your hair-fall woes
A healthy diet- A balanced diet is the key to healthy hair. It can play a huge role in delaying your hair receding as well. Make sure to include lots of anti-oxidants in your daily meals.
Proteins are also essential in making sure that you avoid hair fall and thinning. Inclusion of raw vegetables and fresh herbs can reduce the risk of baldness as per the latest studies. Some of the important foods for healthy hair are:
- Proteins
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Biotin
- Iron
- Medications- There are a lot of options available in modern medicine to deal with maturing hairlines and balding.
- Propecia- The drug has been in use for over 25 years to treat hair loss and balding issues.
- Minoxidil- This is an effective drug that helps in avoiding premature baldness by helping slow down hair receding in a majority of the cases.
- Laser therapy- This is an effective solution for those with aggressive hair loss. It can be done alone or along with other treatments to improve the quality of the results. It is highly effective when it is done in congestion with other treatments such as minoxidil or finasteride.
- Hair transplantation- This is one of the most common techniques that help in concealing a mature or receding hairline and treating male pattern baldness. The hair is removed usually from the back of your head since it is lead susceptible to balding, and placed on the balding or the receding spot. It makes your hairline look fuller and healthier.
- Scalp massages- Regular scalp massages can increase the blood flow on your scalp and encourage hair growth.
- Stress- Anxiety and stress can be a major reason for hair loss. Practising mindfulness, meditation, doing regular exercise and eating healthy can help you deal with it to an extent.
- Use safe hair products- The ingredients that go into your shampoo and conditioner can have long term effects on your hair. Hence it is important to be aware of the harmful ingredients and switch to products that are milder and free of such ingredients. Stay away from hair products that contain sulphates, parabens, artificial colours, artificial fragrances, SLS and other irritants.
- Essential oils- Essential oils should be mixed with carrier oils such as almond oil, coconut oil, Argan oil etc to promote a healthy scalp. Rosemary oil, Lavender oil and peppermint oil have been proven to be extremely helpful in treating a receding hairline.
Is Mature Hairline the Same as Balding
Mature hairline is just something that happens with age. It doesn't necessarily mean you are balding.
To know if you're balding or just have a mature hairline it's important to know the Norwood Scale.
It was a scale developed by Dr. James Hamilton and Dr. Norwood somewhere in the 1950s to identify the different stages of hair loss in men.
Here are some differences between balding and mature hairline:
- On the Norwood scale, a mature hairline will appear somewhere on the scale 4.
- If you're experiencing male pattern baldness, the hair loss starts on the crown and spreads out from there
- But a mature hairline is just a widow's peak receding back a few millimeteres.
It is important to realise that a mature hairline is inevitable and it is a part of the natural growth process. The only thing we can do is delay it or prevent balding by using the above techniques.
Acceptance goes a long way in preventing the stress and anxiety caused by hair fall and thinning. And awareness is equally important when it comes to our haircare so we can identify the situation and consult a doctor on time.
Understand the roots cause of changes in your hairline and check for balding symptoms if any.
Go to a licensed practitioner before self-diagnosing yourself or starting any medications.
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