When hair starts to thin, finding the right hairstyle becomes challenging. Your old tried and true hairstyle becomes more and more difficult to achieve with thinning hair. To add to the problem, your go-to haircut doesn’t do your bald spots and thinning areas any favors. Sound familiar? Don’t worry. You can achieve a stylish, modern haircut and mask your thinning hair at the same time. We’ve found 7 modern hairstyles for men with thinning hair to help you find a solution before your next event.

Fashion Forward Hairstyles for Your Thinning Hair

If you are experiencing thinning hair, it’s important to choose a haircut that flatters your face shape and helps to make your hair appear fuller and thicker. Here are some haircut tips for men with thinning hair.

1. The Crew Cut

The crew cut is both modern and classic, worn by the likes of Channing Tatum to Elvis Pressley. This cut is a shorter hairstyle that’s perfect for men who have thinning hair. Depending on the specific crew cut you’re looking for, this style involves cutting the hair short on the sides and the back. The top, however, remains slightly longer. 

What makes the crew cut work is that it gives the hair some movement but hides any thinning areas – especially at the temples. This creates a clean, polished look that’s easy to maintain and style. For a versatile option, try the crew cut if you have thinning hair. 

2. The Combover

The comb-over gets a bad rap, but it’s an extremely effective way to mask thinning hair or bald spots. A short comb-over, in particular, is the quintessential business look that also helps to disguise any thin patches. This style involves combing the hair over to one side to hide bald spots.

A comb-over requires hair products to keep hair in place. Typically, a comb and hairspray (or other hair product) are all that’s necessary to make a comb-over look flawless. A larger area to comb over may call for longer hair, therefore, a comb-over needs some time for hair to grow long enough to cover over the necessary areas. 

3. The Slicked-Back Look

Slicking back your hair can create the look of full locks. The slicked-back hairstyle involves combing the hair straight back, away from the face. This helps to create the appearance of fuller hair on top while also giving the hair a polished, sophisticated look. 

The slicked-back style can also be easily styled with a little bit of hair product, making it a great option for men who want a low-maintenance style. This look works well with a streamlined, modern wardrobe. So, if you already have an affinity for fashion, a slicked-back hairstyle might be right up your alley. 

4. The French Crop

The French crop is called the “white T-shirt of haircuts” because it looks great on most face shapes. This style also seems ready-made for men with receding hairlines or thinning hair. The hairstyle calls for a crew cut-like cut, but the hair is combed forward at the top. Because the hair is styled slightly forward, the strands can shield a receding hairline from view. 

When wearing a French crop, it helps to use a bit of pomade or gel to keep the hair combed forward and flattened. Also, a shorter cut at the front means frequent trims. Allowing the hair to grow long at the forehead can make the cut look like bangs, so be sure to keep the look on the shorter side!

5. The Messy Textured Crop

The messy textured crop is a modern hairstyle that is perfect for men with thinning hair. This style involves cutting the hair short on the sides and back while leaving the hair slightly longer on top. The hair on top is then styled with a bit of texture and volume, creating a messy, tousled look, perfect for men who want a more relaxed, casual look.

The hair flows forward in this hairstyle, so it helps to cover up any patches of receding hairline or bald areas. This haircut is also low-maintenance, as it doesn’t require precision or accuracy when styling. Just dab some hair product onto your hands, tousle your hair, and you’re good to go. 

6. The Short Quiff

The short quiff is a more modern hairstyle that’s convenient and very doable for men with thinning hair. This style involves cutting the hair short on the sides and back while leaving the hair slightly longer on top. Though it may be mistaken for a pompadour, a short quiff, and a pompadour are two very different hairstyles. 

While both the short quiff and the pompadour involve styling the front of the hair to add volume, a short quiff is much shorter and brushed forwards. So, while a pompadour calls for longer, thicker hair, a short quiff works well with thinner hair. This style also offers the illusion of movement and density, making it an excellent hairstyle for someone with thinning hair. 

7. The Faux Hawk Mohawk

There’s no need to let thinning hair keep you from being edgy and modern! If you’re feeling adventurous, then a faux hawk or mohawk is for you. The faux hawk is a variation of the classic Mohawk, but it’s less extreme and much easier to wear. To create a faux hawk, ask your barber to cut your hair shorter on the sides (but not shaved all the way) and longer on top. Style your hair by using a styling product, such as pomade or wax, to create height and texture.

A Mohawk, on the other hand, calls for a complete shave on the sides of your head and leaves a strip of hair on top. Style your hair by using a styling product, such as pomade or wax, to create height and texture. If you’re feeling rebellious, style the hair into spikes or ask your barber to dye your hair a vibrant color. This should create a definite distraction from your thinning hair! 

What Causes Hair Thinning? 

Before you change your hairstyle, you may want to confirm that you’re actually experiencing hair loss. According to the American Hair Loss Association, a person typically loses 50 to 100 hairs a day. When a person loses more hair than that for a prolonged period of time, however, it can result in excessive hair loss which causes thinning or balding. (01)

Here are some of the most common causes of hair loss in men:

1. Male pattern baldness: Male androgenetic alopecia, also called male pattern baldness, affects up to 30 to 50% of men by the age of 50. The condition is the most common cause of hair loss in men. (02) This type of hair loss is typically caused by genetics and hormonal changes and typically results in a receding hairline and thinning hair on the crown of the head.
2. Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions can also cause hair loss. For example, scalp infections, autoimmune disorders, and skin conditions like psoriasis can all lead to hair loss. (03)
3. Medications: Many medications can cause hair loss in men as a side effect. Some of the most common medications that have hair loss as side effects include chemotherapy drugs, blood thinners, and antidepressants. (03)
4. Nutritional deficiencies: Nutritional deficiencies, particularly in iron, zinc, and biotin, can contribute to hair loss or thinning. (04)
5. Stress: Stress can also contribute to hair loss in both men and women. Chronic stress can lead to hormonal imbalances and nutritional deficiencies that can result in hair loss.
6. Hairstyles and hair treatments: Some hairstyles and hair treatments can also contribute to hair loss in men. For example, tight braids, weaves, and ponytails can cause traction alopecia, a type of hair loss caused by pulling on the hair follicles. Chemical treatments like perms and relaxers can also damage the hair and cause hair loss over time. (05)

As you can see, hair loss in men can be caused by a variety of factors. So, if you suspect that your hair is thinning, you may want to speak with a dermatologist to confirm your suspicions. You can also take our quick questionnaire here to tell us about your hair loss, share some photos, and a Happy Head dermatologist can create a custom hair loss treatment just for you. All online. No office visits needed. 

You can also try our Happy Head Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner. Developed specifically with hair loss in mind, our hair care products contain high-quality ingredients like Saw Palmetto and Biotin. Our special hair thickeners add volume and length to your strands and keep your scalp healthy. Subscribe and save on your purchase! 

Resources: 

(01) https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/insider/shedding

(02) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK278957/

(03) https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/causes/18-causes

(04) https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/causes/18-causes

(05) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/

(06) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470434/