Crown Hair Thinning: How To Stop It?

Medically reviewed by Dr. Ahmad Chaudhry M.B.B.S.
Written by Our Editorial Team
Last updated

It's easy to feel invincible when you're young. We take our hair for granted, whether we wear it long or style it freely. When you're young, you don't even think about your hair's aging.

Sadly, a full head of hair doesn't last forever for most men. It's always a shock when you see the first early signs of balding.

You'll usually see a receding hairline or thinning hair everywhere. Another traumatic sign of early balding is crown hair thinning.

We'll talk about some of the early signs of balding crowns and how to manage your crown hair thinning in this article. Although you may not feel it's the most attractive look, it's not the end of the world. You can regain that youthful confidence with effective hair loss treatments.

See the surefire way to stop crown hair thinning now

    Summary

    Hair loss in the crown can be a very difficult issue to deal with. If you're experiencing severe hair loss, seek professional medical advice for the best hair loss treatment options for you. There are several effective treatments, and the one that will work best for you depends on your situation. Crown hair loss can be stopped with the right treatment.

    What is crown hair thinning and why does it happen?

    crown hair thinning

    On average, people can lose around 50-100 hairs a day, meaning that the four to five hairs you notice in your hands after shampooing your hair aren't anything to be concerned about.

    However, if you start to notice an excessive amount of hair falling out throughout the day, there's a risk that it could be the result of male pattern baldness.

    One of the most common and easy-to-spot signs of male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, is thinning hair on the crown.

    This is a problem that many men have, no matter how old they are. 95% of male hair loss is due to androgenetic alopecia, according to research by the American Hair Loss Association. Even though this is the most common type of hair loss, it can happen to younger people as well.

    Basically, male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness is caused by a powerful androgen that is converted from testosterone called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.

    Even though DHT is a natural part of the body, it can have some bad effects. Your hair follicles, for example, are sensitive to it. When it's around, your hair follicles can shrink, get weaker, and even stop making new hair.

    dht hair follicle, irritated skin

    The follicles that are most sensitive to DHT are right where you'd expect them to be: at the hairline and, you guessed it, at the crown. The hairs on the side and back of your head are much less likely to fall out when exposed to DHT.

    But it's important to note that DHT doesn't mean that your bald spot will look perfect right away. Instead, your hair thins over time, which may eventually combine with a receding hairline to leave the top of your head bald.

    But this happens over time, and you still have time to catch up before the game is over.

    Common signs of a balding crown

    It takes time to go from having a full head of hair to being bald enough to notice. If you pay attention to the most common early signs of hair loss, you might be able to stop or prevent hair loss.

    Here are some early signs that it might be time to step in:

    1. Receding hairline

    receding hairline

    A classic early sign of balding is a receding hairline. Signs of a receding hairline are when your hair starts to thin at the temples aka temple balding, making your widow's peak stand out more and giving you a hairline that looks like the letter M (see mature hairline) or a horseshoe. As your hairline creeps back along your scalp, it's possible you'll start losing hair on your crown too.

    2. Hair falls out more than usual

    Finding a few hairs in your comb, on your pillow, or in the drain of your shower doesn't always mean you're going bald. About 100,000 hairs are on the scalp, and about 100 fall out every day. That's part of the hair's natural life cycle—scalp follicles are always growing hair, stopping to rest, and then shedding it.

    However, if you're noticing a lot more hair in your brush than usual, or if you're finding bald spots on your scalp where the hair used to be, it might be a sign that you're starting to lose more hair than normal.

    3. You appear to have thinner hair in general

    Sometimes, balding doesn't start at the hairline or crown. Instead, it starts in a wider area of the scalp and spreads steadily. This kind of hair loss is sometimes called "invisible balding" because it happens so slowly and evenly that it may be hard to notice until nearly half of the hair is gone.

    4. Photographic evidence

    photographic evidence

    If you're worried about going bald and don't know if you are or not, a good exercise is to compare a photo of yourself now with one from the past that was taken in the same lighting and at the same angle. That will give you an unbiased look at any possible changes in your hairline or thickness as a whole.

    5. Hair grows slower

    When a man has male pattern baldness, his hair grows in a shorter cycle. The normal growth cycle lasts between two and six years, after which the hairs fall out and the cycle begins again with new hair growth. So, how long your hair growth cycle is and how long does it take for hair to grow back affect how long your hair can grow.

    The process is similar in women.

    6. Your scalp itches

    An itchy scalp isn't usually a sign of male pattern baldness or female pattern hair loss, but it can be a sign of other things that cause hair loss, like a buildup of sebum (oil) on your scalp or skin conditions like folliculitis, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, or ringworm of the scalp (also called tinea capitis), a fungal infection.

    Sometimes, scratching too much can damage hair follicles and cause hair to fall out with white bulb. If your scalp itches all the time, you should see a dermatologist. They can figure out what's wrong and give you treatments to fix it.

    How to stop crown hair thinning?

    crown hair thinning

    If you have male pattern hair loss, there are a few things you can do to stop it and make your hair grow back. Here is how to stop balding at the crown:

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    Leveraging the revolutionary potential of stem cells, Bio-Pixilin fosters the growth of healthier hair cells, putting the brakes on further hair loss, while stimulating regrowth of your once-lost hair.

    The best part? This is achieved entirely without the use of drugs – meaning no harmful side effects, just results.

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    A staggering 97% of participants in a clinical study saw a noticeable reduction in hair loss after 150 days of use, all without experiencing the itching, swelling, irritation, or intensified hair loss.

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    Formulated to combat shedding & signs of balding

    2. Finasteride

    Topical finasteride or Propecia are medications used to treat male pattern hair loss. They come in pill form and are usually taken once a day (or every other day).

    Finasteride works by blocking the production of DHT, which is the hormone that's linked to hair loss. Finasteride is an effective medication for treating hair loss, but it can take up to a year to see finasteride results.

    People have been able to see favorable outcomes from finasteride, as shown in this finasteride before and after. If you don't see results after a year of treatment, it's probably that finasteride is not working. Talk to your doctor about other options.

    There are some side effects associated with Finasteride ranging from mild ones like finasteride shedding to severe sexual side effects. These side effects are rare and usually go away after you stop taking the medication. But finasteride side effects after stopping is something you should know. That's when you should consider finasteride alternatives.

    Here's how to get topical finasteride in the UK.

    3. Minoxidil

    Minoxidil (Rogaine) is a well-known product for people whose hair is getting thinner. Minoxidil improves the health of your hair follicles – by encouraging blood flow to the area.

    The product comes in the form of a gel or a foam and is meant to be put on your scalp every day.

    When people first start using minoxidil to grow their hair back, some notice minoxidil shedding where they shed more hair, at least for a short while. Alopecia can cause moderate hair loss, and there is a lot of medical evidence and clinical trials that back up the use of minoxidil for this.

    4. Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)

    In low-level laser therapy, also called red light therapy and cold laser therapy, photons are sent into the tissues of the scalp. Photons are particles of light that can be absorbed by weak cells. This makes hair grow. Most people agree that the procedure is safe, easy to deal with, and less painful than hair transplant surgery.

    Because laser therapy has different effects on different people, the medical community seems to think that it works for some people but not for others. There needs to be more research, but some studies have shown promising results:

    But a 2013 study of 41 men between the ages of 18 and 48 found that laser hair treatment promotes hair regrowth by 39% over 16 weeks.

    5. PRP (Platelet rich plasma) therapy

    PRP is a substance made from your blood that is injected into your scalp. It is thought to help heal tissues in your body, such as the follicles where your hair grows. PRP is taken from your blood with a device that works like a centrifuge. This removes the substance from your blood and increases the amount of proteins in your body that aid in healing.

    Research from 2014 shows that PRP injections are a good way to treat androgenic alopecia, which is also called male pattern baldness.

    Since PRP involves injecting a substance into the skin, there is a chance of infection, nerve damage, pain at the injection site, and damage to the tissue.

    6. Hair transplant surgery

    Hair transplant surgery involves taking hair from one part of your head and putting it in the balding area. This is usually done with follicular unit transplantation, which is when the doctor removes a strip of skin from your scalp and then transplants the hair follicles into the balding area.

    Transplant surgery is usually done in people who have severe hair loss or people whose appearance are extremely important. You can get hair transplant for widow's peak, balding, receding hairline and many other hair conditions.

    It's a very invasive procedure and can be quite expensive. There is also a risk of complications, such as bleeding, infection, and scarring.

    That's why these hair transplant alternatives are often preferred by many.

    How to prevent hair thinning at the crown?

    Some types of hair loss are unavoidable because of health problems or changes in hormones, but you can take steps to make them less severe.

    Here's how to prevent hair from thinning at the crown, from making changes to your diet and lifestyle to how you style your hair.

    Take care of your hygiene

    hair thinning at crown

    Kerry Yates, a trichologist at the Colour Collective, says that you should think of your scalp like your face. Would you ever go days without washing your face? Most likely not, especially if you knew you were going to get out.

    But many of us go a week without washing our hair and use dry shampoo to hide the buildup of oil. She says, "Using dry shampoos too much leads to clogged follicles, which can cause permanent damage and hair loss [at the crown] over time." "Try to wash your hair at least once every three to four days to keep this from happening."

    Avoid hot tools

    If you're constantly using hot styling tools, you're damaging your hair. The heat from these tools dries out your strands, making them more likely to break. And when your hair breaks, it becomes thinner and can start to fall out at the crown.

    Don't scratch your scalp

    If you have an itchy scalp, you might be tempted to scratch it. But resist the urge! Scratching can damage your hair follicles and cause your hair to fall out.

    Scratching the scalp too hard can irritate the skin there and damage the hair follicle, which can ultimately cause hair loss. This can eventually lead to hair thinning or even balding in that area. If you have an itchy scalp, try using a gentle shampoo and avoid scratching it.

    Follow healthy diets

    Eating a healthy diet is crucial for preventing hair loss. A diet that's high in protein, biotin, iron, and omega-3 fatty amino acids can help promote hair regrowth. Foods like salmon, dark leafy greens, beans, and nuts are all excellent sources of these nutrients.

    If you're not getting enough of these nutrients in your diet, you may need to take supplements. Talk to your doctor about whether you should take hair supplements and which ones are right for you.

    Reduce stress

    crown hair thinning

    Stress can cause body hair loss, so it's important to find ways to reduce it in your life. Exercise, meditation, and deep breathing are all excellent ways to manage stress. You can also try aromatherapy or massages to relax.

    Is it normal for hair at the crown to be thinner?

    Crown hair thinning is a sign of male pattern baldness, which is the most common type of male hair loss. It's completely normal for your hair to thin as you get older. In fact, it's estimated that around two-thirds of all men will lose hair by the time they're 35.

    So, if you're noticing some crown hair thinning, don't freak out just yet. It's probably just a sign that you're getting older.

    Of course, if you're noticing crown hair thinning at a young age, it could be a sign of something more serious. In this case, you should definitely see a doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions.

    Can a thinning crown grow back?

    crown hair thinning

    If hair loss is caused by your genes, it won't grow back on its own. To get a healthy, full head of hair back, you'll need to do something, and that means looking at the different ways to stop hair loss.

    Many men wonder if they have to get treatment to fix the problem or if their hair will grow back on its own. Even though thin hair may grow back, you should also know when to get help from a professional.

    Read more:

    Dr. Ahmad Chaudhry M.B.B.S. is a House Physician in the Medical Unit 3 Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, and deals with hepatic, cardiac, neurological, and dermatological issues daily. He did his MBBS from Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad. He believes that a good haircare routine is one where you nourish it naturally. During his free time, he works as a dermatologist for Scandinavian Biolabs.