Men and women tend to experience thinning hair during middle age and beyond. Heredity is a factor in what age your hair line begins to recede along with the rate, pattern and extent of your hair loss. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says roughly two-thirds of men have a balding pattern by age 60, which often begins with a receding hairline. In women hair typically thins out at the front, sides or top of the head. The medical term for male and female pattern baldness is androgenetic alopecia. There are a number of treatments available that may help rectify a receding hairline.
Minoxidil
The main topical solution used to treat receding hairlines and other male pattern balding traits is minoxidil (Rogaine). Minoxidil is rubbed directly into the scalp to encourage the growth of hair follicles. It works to delay hair loss and may result in new hair growth in some men. New hair tends to be thinner than the preceding hair. Minoxidil is available in a 2 percent and 5 percent solution.
Finasteride
Finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) is an oral medication that blocks the production of the male hormone dihydrotestosterone. This hormone is responsible for reducing the size of hair follicles. Like minoxidil, finasteride is more likely to slow the rate of hair loss than it is to stimulate the growth of new hair. However it is thought to be more effective than minoxidil.
Hair Transplant Surgery
Hair transplants and scalp reduction surgery may be an option for people with androgenetic alopecia when less invasive therapies have not worked. The Mayo Clinic says during a hair transplant your dermatologist or surgeon will remove tiny plugs of hair in areas of your scalp where growth remains active and insert them in your bald spots. Multiple procedures may be required but the effects are excellent and long lasting.
Future Treatments
A number of new medications are on the horizon that may be able to preserve the health of hair follicles or produce new ones. One such potential hair loss remedy uses an abrasive gel to slightly damage the skin and then topical cream to activate the follicle-generating genes.
Outlook
There is no known way to prevent male and female pattern baldness. Hair loss treatments can help improve self-esteem that may have been adversely affected by this condition.
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