UrbanUpdate

If you're looking for the best haircut for thin hair, first things first: Don’t be discouraged if the top of your head isn’t as thick and voluminous as it used to be. Chances are that this was inevitable, in this decade or the next. Now is your chance to show that you can still make the most of your hair’s potential—turn lemons into lemonade, if you will—despite any thinning or recession. (Though, if you’re curious, you might also read up on the best ways to prevent hair loss, if you want to stop the current thinning in its tracks, and maybe even grow back some of what’s recently been lost.) 

Going bald isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it might be the most freeing thing you can experience, by shedding (literally) any insecurities around hair loss, and avoiding any potential side effects of hair loss prevention. And if that’s more your tune, check out how to care for a shaved head (because yeah, you’re going to have to get good at caring for your dome).

But for anyone looking to maximize his thinning or receding hair with the most flattering hairstyle, we sought tips from Ryan Gonzalez, owner of Church California hair products and Church Barber in San Francisco.

The Best Haircut for Thin Hair

If you want one of the most broadly flattering hairstyles for thinning hair, then choose from the list below, which Gonzalez says are most common in his barbershop. Below the list, we’ll focus on them more in discussing how to approach a hairstyle selection based on the type of hair loss you’re experiencing. 

Pompadour 

Sweep it up and back. “If just the crown is thinning, the pompadour is a good solution for hiding that thinning hair in the middle,” says Gonzalez. And a dramatically swept-back haircut honestly looks extra dramatic if you've got some mild recession along the temples. (See Jude Law, above-middle.)

Comb over

No, we’re not talking about those guys who comb over five long wisps of hair and try to pass it off as a hairstyle. “Combover” refers to any hairstyle that is parted and swept across the dome in order to mask thinning spots, and even recession, says Gonzalez. It usually involves growing the top out a little longer than usual, to compensate for any thinning. This is a high-risk maneuver, but the best ones don't even read as a comb-over. Make a plan with your barber the next time you get a cut. 

Caesar cut

This blunt-front cut can help hide receding corners, by allowing the hair at the rear of the recession to grow longer than that in the front of the peak. Thus, when it’s all combed forward, you have a teeny tiny curtain that falls straight across the forehead. “It is a major commitment to a style,” Gonzalez warns. It definitely takes a pinch of attitude to pull off.

Tapered fade with a textured top 

Gonzalez calls this one simple, stylish, and low maintenance: You fade the backs and sides and taper them into a 0 or 1 for a barely-there finish, while the top is kept choppy and texturized (both with shears from the barber, and with texturizing hair product). Together, these two things pull focus to the style and not to the thinning. (Daniel Day-Lewis, above left, has a long version of this cut.) 

Curtain Cut 

The 1990s heartthrob haircut is back in style. Think of this one kind of like a combover that falls equally both ways, thus framing your face. It’s best for light uniform thinning and recessed corners, says Gonzalez, to prevent people from seeing any sparseness underneath those curtains. 

Hairstyle Tips for Recessed Hairlines

This will depend on things like your hair density and texture, but also on the type of hair loss you are experiencing. Here are some tips from Gonzalez on choosing the right style when you are dealing with hairline recession. 

Concealing Recession

“Most guys who experience hairline recession begin to take on an M-shaped hairline, where the hair is most prominent upfront and recedes in the corners,” Gonzalez starts. He says that you can approach covering recession one of two ways: Either by concealing the recession completely, or pulling attention away by accentuating the fullness of the hair elsewhere.  

If you want to conceal recession completely, then he recommends the Caesar cut. “The fringe can be styled either very neat (with a clean line-up at the front), or messy (think Russell Crowe in Gladiator), depending on the look you’re after,” he says. 

Another classic style for recession is the combover, which conceals one of your two recessed sides, but can still distract from the other, thanks to the hair part you define. “One way to enhance this look is to create a hard part at the opposite corner, distracting from the recession by creating a hard line,” he says. Many combs have a fat tooth on the end, almost like a thumb, to help draw this hard part, which you can then comb cleanly to both sides. Extremely recessed hair might be hard to pair with this style, since after a certain point, it’s very obvious that there’s a big gap there.

Distraction

The curtain cut is also a mix of distraction and coverup, but we’ll classify it under the former. If your hair is full enough in the middle to part to both sides and thus frame your face like curtains, you can accentuate what you’ve got while simultaneously masking what’s missing.

“For this style, you’ll want your barber to keep the hair longer in the middle than on the sides, so that it falls over to both sides. The key to pulling this style off is volume, which you can get by utilizing a volumizing styler, preferably one with very little hold and lots of volume. The volume keeps the hair on top from going too flat, allowing the hair to cascade down.”

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Texture is another way to distract. “The best ones emphasize where you have the strongest hairline, like the front (peak of the ‘M’),” Gonzalez says. So, keep the sides short, and the top slightly longer. “It’s also an easier transition for those who are experiencing both a receding hairline and thinning at the crown simultaneously,” he adds. 

Hairstyle Tips for Thinning Crown (Uniform Shedding)

Along with recession, the other type of hair loss is thinning at the crown. In general, the concealing tips for recessed hairlines can be applied to bald spots that might thin more prominently, like at the rear of the head. (Sprinkle-on fibers and micropigmentation tattoos are more extreme ways to try to cover them up, which some guys do resort to. We think the former is too messy and prone to staining clothing, towels, and pillowcases, but you might also be surprised how many guys walking the red carpet are also sporting a sprinkle or two of hair fiber to add some fullness.) As for overall thinning, though, the following hairstyling tips are recommended by Gonzalez.

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If your hairline is mostly intact, then Gonzalez suggests a pompadour, even if it’s a small bump like a gentleman’s haircut. Grow the hair longer in front, then comb it backwards and use a volumizing hair paste or clay. “Bentonite clay is a tacky substance which binds hair follicles together, making the most of your strands,” he says. Many hair fiber creams do the same.

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 Like with receded hairlines, a comb over can also mask crown thinning. “Your barber can help determine where your hair is thinning most and where you’ve got the most density,” Gonzalez says. And let’s be honest: If your barber can’t do that, then maybe get a new barber. 

One more option, if your hairline is intact, is to go really short, to pull focus on the hairline. (Tall guys have an even bigger advantage with this one, since nobody can see the tops of their head.) “You can get a #1 or even .5”, and then a very high fade which nearly reaches the crown,” Gonzalez says. “This look is common amongst Black men experiencing thinning at the crown, embracing a sharp hairline while essentially removing the crown.”

Hairstyle Tips for Recession and Thinning Crown

If you are experiencing both types of hair loss, then you need to find some ideal middle ground. The most obvious solution is to wear your hair slightly forward and to the side, in a sweeping comb-over that masks one half of your recession and helps fill in the density up top. That being said, this won’t work as well if you are experiencing medium-to-severe version of either type of hair loss. That’s why you have to pick and choose from the tips above based on which type of loss is more severe for you, and then assess your best strengths (and maybe the best products) moving forward. And after a certain point, the best thing you can do is just trim it short or go fully bald. 

Other Factors to Consider When Choosing a Hairstyle

Your hair loss patterns aren’t the only thing to factor in. While they will likely be the predominant variable, you should still consider the below in terms of finding something flattering. 

Face shape: Sure, face shape is less important to consider here—since you have to make the most of what you’ve got rather than choosing from the whole menu of haircuts. Still, it could come into play if you are trying to opt for a high pompadour but already have an elongated face. (Newsflash: the added height will only elongate things more.) A voluminous curtain cut will have the same effect. “Rounder faces trend to be encouraged to embrace shorter styles, like a textured top with taper fade,” Gonzalez adds. This can help “soften” the edges of the face to create a more oval result.

Hair length: Any added length is arsenal for concealing thinning. But that doesn’t mean it will always do you favors. The hairline really starts to reveal itself, especially once you have to cease wearing the hair forward due to its length. As for short styles, you can opt for a Caesar if you want to conceal recession, or something choppy and textured to conceal thinning. 

Fades: Like smoke and mirrors, a fade is a great way to distract from thinning hair, Gonzalez notes, since it draws attention away from the tops. “Fades also look great with facial hair, creating separation between the hair and face, drawing more attention to beards and eyebrows.”

Hair parts: We mentioned it above in terms of combover styles, but never underestimate the distracting powers of a hard, defined hair part, which can distract from all types of hair loss. Most guys will define their part on one side or the other, but consider a center part, too: “Parting hair down the middle can work for those who aim to cover up receding corners, while still maintaining a longer, natural look, like a curtain cut,” Gonzalez adds.

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Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQHair