How to Prevent Hair Thinning at Your Temples

Have you ever brushed your hair back, tied it into a ponytail and noticed thinning at the temples? 

While hair loss is generally something you probably associate with men, it can also affect women.

In fact, estimates suggest less than 45 percent of women keep a full head of hair throughout their lives. That means you might face hair thinning at some point. 

The good news? If you’re starting to develop temple hair loss, you can often prevent it from worsening.

Read on to find out why a female receding hairline at the temples happens. Plus, tips on what you can do to prevent thinning from worsening and the best ways to stimulate hair growth by your temples, hairline and scalp.

Hair loss can be frustrating, especially when you don’t know why it’s happening.

Many factors can contribute to hair loss conditions, including thin around the temples. These include:

• Genetics

• Hormonal changes

• Hair styling habits

• Hair care routines

Female Pattern Hair Loss

In women, the most common cause of hair loss is female pattern hair loss (FPHL) or androgenetic alopecia. It’s like the female version of male pattern baldness, but it presents differently in women.

While androgens (AKA male hormones) are a key factor in male pattern hair loss, their role in female pattern hair loss is less clear. Women also produce androgens, but typically at much lower levels than men. 

Most women with female pattern hair loss have normal androgen levels.This suggests that there are other factors involved.  

Increased sensitivity of hair follicles to these hormones, hormonal imbalances, genetics, and environmental factors may also play a role in the development of female pattern hair loss. FPHL involves a gradual and progressive shrinkage of hair follicles leading to increasingly shorter and thinner hairs until the follicle stops producing hair altogether. 

Conditions that affect androgen production, like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), can also lead to FPHL. 

Unlike men, who often experience a receding hairline, thinning temples, or a bald spot, pattern hair loss in women usually starts as a widening part and diffuse thinning of hair on the top and crown. Over time, some women will develop widespread thinning. Thinning at the temples isn’t a typical feature of FPHL, but it can happen — especially in more advanced stages.  

Since this type of hair loss is progressive and can worsen over time, it’s important to address it early if you notice a widening part or thinning of your hair. With timely treatment, you can stabilize the progression and, in some cases, achieve some regrowth. 

Traction Alopecia

Traction alopecia, or ponytail hair loss, is another type of hair loss affecting women. It develops when hair follicles experience repeated tension, usually from tight hairstyles, including:

• Ponytails

• Buns

• Braids

• Cornrows

• Dreadlocks

• Extensions and weaves

Certain hair care practices, like wearing rollers to bed or using hair treatments with chemical relaxers, can contribute to this form of hair loss. 

If you frequently style your hair in these ways, you might notice early signs of traction alopecia, like:

• Scalp tenderness 

• Stinging or itching

• Small white, red, or flesh-colored bumps 

Over time, you may develop thinning and, eventually, significant hair loss. Traction alopecia most commonly affects your frontal hairline, temples, and sides of your scalp, but can develop in any area under tension. When it affects the front hairline there may be only some fine, short hairs left — a feature known as the “fringe sign.”

 If left untreated, traction alopecia can lead to permanent hair loss, so it’s crucial to address it early if you spot symptoms.

Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is a form of temporary hair loss that occurs when a significant number of hair follicles prematurely leave the growth phase of the hair cycle and enter the resting (telogen) phase. This condition may be triggered by a variety of factors, including: 

 Illnesses that cause a fever

• Infections

• Surgery or physical trauma

• Hormonal changes, like those associated with the postpartum period, menopause, or hormonal birth control

• Thyroid disease

• Extreme weight loss

• Nutritional deficiencies like lack of iron, zinc, or vitamin D 

• Intense emotional stress

• Certain medications

Telogen effluvium typically causes a diffuse hair loss affecting the whole scalp, but in some cases, thinning may be more noticeable at the temples, especially in females. 

Fortunately, telogen effluvium is usually temporary and will improve once the root cause is identified and addressed.

Our guide to female hair loss goes into more detail about the different types of hair loss and how to recognize the signs.

Here are some options to help prevent hair thinning at your temples — from over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications to styling tips and cosmetic procedures.

Use Medications to Stop Hair Loss and Stimulate Hair Growth

Minoxidil, also sold under the brand name Rogaine^®, is a popular topical hair loss treatment. It’s believed to work by increasing blood flow to your hair follicles, and shifting them into the anagen (AKA active growth) phase of the hair growth cycle. 

Noticing thinning temples or hair loss elsewhere? Minoxidil is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent further hair loss and promote regrowth.

Patience is key when using minoxidil. It typically takes three to six months to see any noticeable changes, such as reduced hair loss, regrowth at the temples and improved hair density. 

Ready to give minoxidil a try? You can find it online as a 2% solution and 5% foam, both formulated specifically for women’s hair loss. Minoxidil is also available as an oral medication that may be prescribed off-label for people who prefer an alternative to topical application.

Depending on the underlying cause of your hair loss, your healthcare provider might recommend additional medications to address your hair loss. One such option is spironolactone, a diuretic that is used off-label to treat hair loss in women. It works by blocking androgen receptors on hair follicles, which can help reduce hormonal hair loss and promote regrowth. 

Avoid Overly Tight Hairstyles

If you’re seeing some hair loss at your temples and hairline but your hair doesn’t seem thinner overall and you frequently wear tight hairstyles, you might have traction alopecia.

To prevent it from getting worse and to allow your hair follicles to recover, steer clear of hairstyles that put tension on your hair, if possible. 

Also, avoid hair rollers or any other products that can tug on your roots, especially if you leave them in for long periods. 

Try Supplements 

Researchers have found that some nutrient and vitamin deficiencies may contribute to various types of hair loss. Examples include:

• Biotin (vitamin B7)

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin D

• Iron

• Zinc

If your healthcare provider thinks a nutritional deficiency is contributing to your hair loss, a supplement might help promote healthier hair growth.

There are plenty of hair supplement options out there like our hair gummies packed with hair-friendly nutrients like biotin, folic acid, and vitamins B12, B6, and D. 

For Severe Thinning, Consider These Options

When hair thinning becomes severe, medications or changes to your hair care routine might not be enough.  

If you have extensive hair thinning around your temples and hairline, a cosmetic procedure like hair transplantation could be your best option.

This surgery involves moving donor hairs from the unaffected areas of your scalp to the thinning areas, adding fullness and increasing density. 

Done right, female hair transplant surgery can restore your hairline’s fullness and reverse the effects of female pattern hair loss or traction alopecia. 

Hair transplant surgery isn’t cheap, though. On average, it can cost several thousand dollars to restore a thinning hairline or add fullness to your temples. That said, if your severe hair loss affects your self-esteem, it may be worth considering.

Other options for addressing hair thinning include:

• Low-level laser therapy

• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy

Hair thinning can take a major toll on your self-confidence and quality of life, especially when it affects a highly visible area like your temples or hairline.

Let’s recap what we know about hair thinning at the temples:

• It can happen for a variety of reasons. Thinning hair, including thinning at the temples in females can happen due to a number of different conditions.. 

• Tight hairstyles can also cause thinning at the temples and other parts of the hairline. Hairstyles that pull on your hair can damage hair follicles eventually causing thinning in areas regularly under tension. 

• Treatments for hair thinning are available. Depending on the root cause of your hair thinning, minoxidil and other women’s hair loss products may help stop your hair from thinning any further and promote regrowth. 

Want to learn more about research-backed minoxidil? Check out our guide to minoxidil for female hair loss.

Ready to get personalized advice from a hair loss expert? Take our free hair quiz today!