Hair Thinning at Temples: Causes, Prevention, & Treatments

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

While hair loss is something you may generally 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 and regrow some hair back.

Read on to find out why a female receding hairline at the temples happens. We’ll also share tips on what you can do to prevent thinning from worsening and the best ways to stimulate hair growth around your temples, along your hairline, and across your 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 thinning around the temples. These include:

• Genetics

• Hormonal changes

• Hairstyling habits

• Hair care routines

Here are a few causes of thinning around the temples.

1. Female Pattern Hair Loss

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

Although androgens (male hormones) are a key factor in male pattern hair loss, their role in female pattern baldness 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 of the head. Over time, some women develop widespread thinning.

Thinning at the temples isn’t a typical feature of FPHL, but it can happen — particularly 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 hair. With timely treatment, you can stabilize the progression and, in some cases, achieve regrowth.

2. Traction Alopecia

Traction alopecia (or “ponytail hair loss”) is another common type of hair loss affecting women. It develops when hair follicles experience repeated tension, often 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 also 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

• Hyperkeratosis (when the outer layer of skin thickens)

• Folliculitis (inflamed hair follicles)

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 it can develop in any area under tension. When it affects the front hairline, there may be only 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.

3. Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is a form of temporary hair loss that occurs when a significant number of hair follicles prematurely leave the growth (anagen) 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 a lack of iron, zinc, or vitamin D

• Intense emotional stress

• Certain medications

Telogen effluvium typically causes 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 improves 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 seen in women and how to recognize the signs.

You can prevent hair thinning at your temples and regrow hair by using over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medications, changing your hairstyle, taking supplements, or trying cosmetic procedures.

Here are the details.

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 option. It’s believed to work by increasing blood flow to hair follicles and shifting them into the anagen (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.

If you’d rather skip applying something to your hairline every day, you can get minoxidil as an oral medication.

Our minoxidil + biotin gummy combines the prescription medication and supplement into one simple daily step. Biotin may help promote healthy hair growth, BTW.

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

Avoid Overly Tight Hairstyles

If you’re seeing 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 allow your hair follicles to recover, steer clear of hairstyles that put tension on your hair.

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, including our hair gummies, which are packed with hair-friendly nutrients like biotin, folic acid, and vitamins B12, B6, and D.

To level up your supplement game, we also offer hair vitamins + minoxidil, a daily pill that combines prescription hair growth treatment with a blend of vital vitamins.

For Severe Thinning, Consider Cosmetic Procedures

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.

When 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 restoration surgery isn’t cheap, though. On average, it can cost several thousand dollars to restore a thinning hairline or add fullness to the 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 (LLLT) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. Learn more in our guide to the best hair loss treatments for women.

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:

• Temple hair loss can happen for a variety of reasons. Thinning hair, including thinning at the temples in females, can be caused by tight hairstyles, female pattern hair loss, or telogen effluvium, as well as hormonal changes from menopause, pregnancy, or PCOS.  

• Try switching up your hairstyle. Go for loose styles that don’t put tension on your scalp. A new hairstyle can also help hide temple hair loss while you work on growing your hair back. 

• Treatments for hair thinning are available. Depending on the root cause of your hair thinning, medications like minoxidil and supplements like biotin may help stop your hair from thinning any further and promote new hair growth. You can combine the two with our daily gummy.

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!