The Best Men’s Haircuts for Thinning Hair
Key Takeaways:
- A haircut for thinning hair can refresh your look and restore confidence — no matter your stage of hair loss.
- From buzz cuts and crew cuts to pompadours and undercuts, these haircuts for balding men and receding hairlines are stylish and low-maintenance.
- Working with a skilled barber can help you find a cut that flatters your hair type.
- With proper care and treatment, you can protect and even strengthen thinning hair over time.
Dealing with thinning hair or a receding hairline can be frustrating. As your hairline moves back and your hair gets thinner, you may need to change up your hairstyle to accommodate it — and that’s okay. We’ve got you covered with these expert-approved haircuts for balding men or those with thinning hair.
We’ll share 16 stylist-recommended haircuts for thinning hair men can consider if they have a receding hairline, all-over sparseness, or signs of baldness. We’ll also discuss your options for protecting hair follicles, stopping hair loss from worsening, and even potentially regrowing some of your lost hair.
The 16 Best Haircuts for Thinning Hair Men Can Try
Whether you currently have a short haircut, medium-length hair, curly hair, or fine hair, there’s an on-trend, low-maintenance haircut for you.
“In the barbershop, clients often ask, ’Do you think my hairline is moving back?’ or ’What do I do for my thinning top?’” says Sam Myers, a barber at Circa, a barbershop owned and operated by local barbers with several locations in South Carolina.
“As barbers, we can tailor a specific cut for each client to match where they’re at in their process,” Myers explains. “I take into consideration the density of their hair, the texture, the growth pattern, and more.”
Myers adds that as the hairline moves or the density changes, making a small adjustment can have a big impact on your style and confidence. “There are several cuts and styles that can make anyone look and feel amazing,” he says. “Working with a barber who’s confident and versatile can make your experience easy and smooth.”
Without further ado, the best haircuts for thin hair on men include:
- Buzz cut
- The Caesar
- Sweep-over
- Mop top
- Crew cut
- Crop top
- Quiff
- Slick-back
- Undercut
- Buzz and beard
- Flowing waves
- Texturized top
- Faux hawk
- Pompadour
- Skin fade
- Shaving it all off
Remember, hairstyles for balding men can look great. The hardest part is finding a hairstyle that works for you.
1. The Buzz Cut
This haircut works well for:
- Any type of hair loss, from a mild receding hairline to Norwood 5, 6, or 7 hair
- Guys who prefer a short cut
- Those who don’t want to use many (or any) hair products
A buzz cut is easy to style and even easier to manage. It’s a perfect option if you have thinner hair on the top of your scalp.
“A buzz cut is a great choice for guys with thinning hair because the short length makes the skin visible — patchy areas on your scalp won’t be as noticeable as they would be with a longer hairstyle,” Myers says, adding that a buzz cut removes the contrast between thick and thin areas on the head. “It keeps things clean and confident.”
If you prefer your hair a little longer on the top than on the sides, you can ask your hairstylist to combine a buzz cut with a fade. Fading your hair can help create a more natural transition from your hairline to the rest of your cut.
2. The Caesar
This haircut works well for:
- Men with thinning at the crown
- Those who don’t have noticeable frontal baldness
Inspired by the Roman Emperor, the Caesar is a classic men’s hairstyle characterized by a short, uniform length all over and straight bangs across the front. It works well with straight, wavy, or curly hair and can be worn short or long.
“The Caesar brings the fringe forward just enough to soften the hairline,” Myers says. “It’s a short, simple, easy-to-style option.”
3. The Sweep-Over
This haircut works well for:
- Guys with slightly longer hair
- Those who don’t mind a deep side part
Not to be confused with a comb-over, the sweep-over gives hair a lived-in, tousled look — like you just ran your hands through it. This is one of the best haircuts for thinning hair on men because the side part helps conceal a receding hairline.
Some men with thinning hair think they should keep their hair close-cropped (and that does work well for many). But a longer length can offer a counterbalance against thinning hair that makes it look fuller and more voluminous.
You can also use gel to add volume and height to the fringe to make thinning hair less noticeable.
4. The Mop-Top
This haircut works well for:
- Any type of hair loss
- Those who prefer mid-length hair or a longer length
- Men who want to make their hairline and scalp less visible
Not a fan of short hairstyles for men with thin hair? A classic mop top haircut is a good option for making thinning hair much less apparent.
Brushing this type of hairstyle forward or across your forehead can also hide a receding hairline with a less obvious look than a comb-over.
One of the nicest aspects of a mop top is that you can adjust the length to match your tastes, from a classic Beatles style to a shoulder-length shag haircut or something shorter, messier, and easier to manage.
5. The Crew Cut
This haircut works well for:
- Guys with a receding hairline
- Men with slightly less thick hair on top
- Those who like to keep things simple
The military-style crew cut is a perfect haircut for balding men or those trying to make a receding hairline less obvious. This blunt cut reduces the contrast between the temples and the sides of the head, with the shorter sides creating the illusion of a more even hairline.
It’s also one of the best haircuts for balding men on top, as the short sides can balance out any thinning on the scalp.
“The crew cut keeps enough length for texture on top while staying neat,” Myers tells Hims. “It works with the density you have, not the density you wish you had, and we can tailor the sides to match your density on top.”
6. The Crop Top
This haircut works well for:
- Men who like to keep their hair short
- Those who don’t want to use products
Longer than a traditional buzz cut but still short all over, the crop top is usually created with an electric razor’s number-two or number-three blade. Ask your stylist to taper the sides in a way that looks natural.
You may want to keep the top just slightly longer to give the illusion of fuller hair. If your scalp is visible on the top, it’s best to ensure your hair is buzzed in a way that makes it also visible on the sides and back.
7. The Quiff
This haircut works well for:
- Guys with a fairly strong hairline and diffuse thinning on top
- Those who want to make all-over thinning less obvious
The quiff is similar to the pompadour — and the cut for a pompadour and quiff are the same. The difference lies in the styling: A quiff is first brushed forward, then up into a wave hairstyle, while the pompadour is combed backward.
The quiff is good for concealing thinning and bald spots around your crown. However, it’s not one of the best haircuts for hiding a receding hairline.
8. The Slick-Back
This haircut works well for:
- Guys with thicker hair and a receding hairline
- Those who like to look stylish and professional at the same time
- Special occasions or dressing up your typical style
A slick-back haircut is exactly what it sounds like — short sides, with slicked-back hair on the top of the head that covers the crown.
Though a slick-back haircut won’t totally hide your receding hairline, it’s a great way to own it while you make thinning hair on your crown less noticeable. We’re sure we’re not alone when we say it’s one of the best hairstyles for balding men.
9. The Undercut
This haircut works best for:
- Guys with a receding hairline or thinning
- Those who prefer long hair on the top and a shorter-length cut on the sides
The undercut combines shaved or very short sides with scissor-cut hair that’s much longer on top. It’s equal parts dapper and casual, giving a mix of low-maintenance short hair and longer hair you can style as you please.
When kept to a shorter length, the undercut becomes a versatile style. You can slick it back or mix it with other haircuts, such as the pompadour or quiff, giving you plenty of control over how your hair looks.
10. The Buzz and Beard
This haircut works well for:
- Men with thinning hair who like the look of facial hair
- Guys who can grow beards
Yes, a buzzed head is a classic short hairstyle for men with thin hair. But what makes this one different is the addition of a beard, which can do incredible work offsetting a bald head.
“If the top is thinning, adding structure with a beard can bring balance and dimension back to the face,” Myers says. “It’s a strong choice and works for anyone with density in their beard.”
The key here is to keep your beard well-groomed — and not drastically longer than the hair on your head. This will define your jawline and cheekbones, adding structure to your face.
11. Flowing Waves
This haircut works well for:
- Men with curly or wavy hair
- Guys who don’t mind the upkeep of slightly longer hair
Blessed with natural waves or curls? Use them to your advantage.
For men with thinning hair, opting for longer hair can be surprisingly effective because the length can create an illusion of volume and fullness. It also provides more coverage and can be styled to conceal thinning areas.
One of the perks of longer hair is that you can pull it into a low bun or ponytail to help conceal the look of thinning on top. A stylist can help you figure out how to layer and texturize your hair to increase volume while framing your face.
12. The Texturized Top
This haircut works well for:
- Guys with curly or wavy hair
- Men with shorter hair whose hair holds a bit of texture
You don’t have to have totally wavy or curly hair to pull off this look — a bit of sea salt or texturizing spray can give hair the grit it needs for this style to look its best. You’ll just need to scrunch the top of your hair when it’s damp.
Typically, a texturized top is cut slightly shorter on the sides and is most voluminous in the center front. You’ll still be able to see a bit of that M-shaped receding hairline, but the extra volume on top provides a nice balance that makes hair look fuller overall.
13. The Faux Hawk
This haircut works best for:
- Guys with thinning hair or a receding hairline
- Those who want the focus to be on the center of the hairline, not the temples
A faux hawk features a tapered fade that’s both less dramatic and better overall for men with thinning hair than its older brother, the infamous mohawk. It’ll also probably get more five-star reviews at the office.
A faux hawk combines a smooth fade on the sides of the head with a gentle spiking of hair on top of the head, which can help volumize thinning hair.
14. The Pompadour
This haircut works well for:
- Any type of hair loss
- Diffuse hair thinning
- A receding hairline you’d like to turn into an asset
The pompadour is a classic ’40s and ’50s hairstyle that looks just as good today with a shirt and jeans as it does with a zoot suit and two-tone wingtips.
A pompadour hairstyle has two major benefits when it comes to thinning hair. First, because it’s partially slicked back, it can help hide thinning on the crown. This is ideal if you’re starting to notice diffuse thinning and want to make it less obvious.
Second, while the pompadour won’t hide a receding hairline, it can accentuate your hairline as a natural part of your face and turn it into a feature instead of a bug.
The pompadour can be worn with long, medium-length, or short hair. And it can be paired with an undercut or facial hair (’70s sideburns are optional, of course).
15. The Skin Fade
This haircut works well for:
- Diffuse thinning that mostly affects the top of the head
- Men who want to soften a receding hairline
With a skin fade, the sides and back of the head are cropped down either to the skin or a very short length. Meanwhile, the hair on top is left longer or styled accordingly.
“A skin fade puts the focus on the shape of the cut,” Myers says. “The clean transition on the sides blends smoothly into any density on top.”
Some people incorporate a side part (parted from the crown to the temple on one side, with the top kept longer and combed over). Others rock a faux hawk with it or even leave the top au naturel (à la the quiff).
16. Shaving It All Off
This haircut works best for:
- Guys with significant, obvious hair loss
- Those who like the idea of never having to pay for a haircut again
Sure, it’s the nuclear option, but it works. If you have the confidence to pull off a shaved head and like the way you look without hair, feel free to shave your head once you start to notice your hair thinning.
Shaving it all off isn’t admitting defeat — it’s all about transcending hair loss. Instead of getting a receding hairline haircut, you’re getting rid of your receding hairline altogether, freeing you from the need to care about how your hair looks.
Just remember, shaving your head won’t prevent any further hair loss, meaning you might not have as much hair as you remembered if you ever decide to grow it back out.
How to Care for Your Hair if It’s Thinning
There are many haircuts for thinning hair men can try. But no matter what haircut you choose, it’s essential to take good care of your hair. Effective hair care can prevent or limit hair damage, make your head of hair appear thicker, and even slow down the effects of certain types of hair loss.
Whether you go with a balding haircut or something different, use the following tips to make the most of your hairstyle and keep your hair looking its best:
- Avoid heat, which damages hair strands. Heat and hair don’t go together, so limit blow-drying. Steer clear of curling irons and straighteners, which can reduce its strength.
- Blow-dry your hair carefully. Choose the lowest heat setting and limit the time your hair comes into contact with hot air.
- Choose a reliable shampoo and conditioner. Shampoo and conditioner are critical for keeping hair strong and healthy, regardless of hair type, hair texture, or hair color.
- Gently massage shampoo into your scalp. Rather than the full length of your hair, focus on washing the roots, then apply conditioner to the tips of your hair. Consider a dry shampoo if you’re prone to oily hair.
- Avoid hairstyles that pull hair. Significant tugging and tension on the scalp can result in a type of hair loss called traction alopecia. Consider this risk if you want to rock a man bun or dreadlocks.
- Whenever possible, choose light hair styling products. For instance, mousse or an aerosol-free foam. These are excellent for styling choppy layers and adding volume to wavy hair.
FAQs
Get answers to common questions about the best haircuts for thinning hair on men.
What’s the best haircut for thinning hair?
The best haircut for thinning hair depends on your hair type, texture, and how much hair you’ve lost. Low-maintenance styles like the buzz cut, crew cut, or crop top minimize contrast between thick and thin areas, while textured cuts like the quiff or pompadour can add volume and shape.
Can I conceal thinning hair with a certain hairstyle?
Yes. Strategic styles like the Caesar, sweep-over, or mop-top can make thinning areas less noticeable by brushing hair forward or creating more fullness on top. A stylist can tailor your haircut to highlight your best features and reduce attention to thinner spots.
Does shaving my head stop hair loss?
No, shaving your head won’t stop hair loss, but it can be an empowering way to take control of your look. Many people find that a clean shave boosts their confidence and makes upkeep simple and straightforward.
How can I make thinning hair look thicker?
Use lightweight styling products like mousse or texturizing spray to add volume. Regular trims, gentle shampooing, and avoiding excessive heat can also help keep your hair looking thicker and healthier.
Related:
- Is Hair Loss Hereditary? Male Pattern Baldness, Genetics, and More
- An Itchy Scalp and Hair Loss: Are They Related?
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This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
