Haircuts for Balding and Thinning Hair

The one principle

Contrast is what shows thinning. Long hair next to thin hair shows it, and so do thick sides next to a sparse top. Every haircut that works for balding men reduces one of those contrasts. Every one that fails increases it.

That is why going shorter almost always helps. Short hair stands up from the scalp and covers more of it. Long hair separates into strands and shows the gaps between them. It is also why the comb-over never works, however carefully it is done. It puts long hair directly over the thinnest part of the head and invites everyone to look.

Where you are losing it

Hair loss tends to start in one of three places, and the best cut depends on which.

The temples. The hairline recedes at the corners into an M shape while the middle holds on. A forward fringe or a very short cut both work.

The crown. A thin patch at the back of the top of the head, which you cannot see in a mirror and everyone behind you can. Keep the top short so there is no long hair parting around it.

All over. General thinning across the top, with the sides staying thick. The job here is to bring the sides down closer to the top.

If your hair is falling out suddenly, in patches or with any soreness of the scalp, see a GP before a barber. That is a different thing from gradual male pattern loss.

Haircuts that work

Short back and sides

De short back and sides is the right first move for most men who have just noticed. Taking the sides down closer to the length of the top reduces the contrast without changing your look much. Keep the top short and push it slightly forward or to the side, not back.

A crop with a forward fringe

For a receding hairline this is the most useful cut there is. A Franse oogst brings the hair forward over the temples and finishes in a short, straight fringe, which covers the recession without looking like it is trying to. A crop met textuur does the same with a messier, point cut finish, which suits fine hair better because the texture hides the scalp.

The fringe wants to be short. Too long and it separates, and the thin corners show through it.

Buzz cut

De buzz cut works at every stage because it makes all the hair the same short length. With nothing long anywhere, the pattern of loss becomes much harder to see. A grade 2 or 3 keeps some colour on the scalp. A grade 1 is closer to shaved. The buzz cut lengths page shows what each grade looks like.

Fair hair shows the scalp at longer grades than dark hair, so go a grade longer if you are blond or grey.

Fades, with care

A huidvervaging works for thinning all over, as long as the top is kept very short too. The fade takes the thick sides away, and with a short top the whole head reads as one length.

What does not work is a high fade under a long top. The bare sides make the top look thinner by comparison, which is the opposite of the point. If you want a fade, keep it low, or go with a low taper fade, which only shortens the edges. More on the differences is on the types of fade pagina.

Wat je moet vermijden

Growing it longer to cover it. Long hair separates and shows more scalp, not less.

A comb-over in any form, including the modern version where the sides are faded and the top swept across.

Shiny or heavy products. Gels and waxes clump fine hair into strands and catch the light on the scalp. A matte paste or clay, used sparingly, gives the opposite effect.

A sharp line-up at the temples. It draws a hard edge right where the recession is. Ask the barber to leave the front hairline natural.

When to shave it all off

There is a point where the haircut is doing more hiding than styling. A grade 1 buzz still shows the pattern clearly. You are spending more time arranging the top than you would like to admit. The thin areas are wider than the thick ones.

At that point, shaving it off is usually the better-looking choice, and a shaved head reads as a decision in a way that a struggling haircut does not.

Try a grade 0 buzz first for a week or two, to see your head shape before you commit to the razor. A clean shaved head needs a sharp blade every day or two, and our guide on hoe scheer je je hoofd de rest wordt gedekt.

A beard helps a shaved or very short head more than anything else. It moves the weight of the face downwards and makes the bare scalp look intentional. The baardstijlen directory is the place to start.

Talking to your barber about it

Barbers see thinning hair every day. Say it plainly, "I'm thinning at the crown" or "my hairline's going at the temples", and ask what they would do. A good barber will tell you which of the cuts above suits your pattern, and if it is time to go shorter.

If the barber is going to cut it the way it was ten years ago without mentioning it, find another barber. You will find the rest of the cuts we cover in the men's hairstyles directory.

Frequently asked questions