Can Male Pattern Baldness Cause a Receding Hairline on One Side?'

Name: Nigel

Question: I’ve always had an uneven hairline, based on pictures it’s been this way since I was only a year old. My forehead is bigger on the right side by about 1.5 cm due to the uneven hairline. What worries me is that I’ve recently (last year) noticed a slight lack of hair on my right temple area and the hair on only the right side is significantly thinner than the left side. The left side hair has no loss at the temple and is very thick in comparison.

My father and his father are both bald, so pattern baldness could be in my genes but they both tell me their hair loss was symmetrical. Men on mothers side all have very thick hair (like my left side) deep into old age, they also have a widows peak, as do I, but mine skews to the left, thicker hair-side.

Is it possible to have genetic male pattern baldness on only one side and not the other? what do you thinks going on here? Thanks in advance for your time.

Answer: Hi, Nigel. The short answer to your question is, no, Male Pattern Baldness cannot affect one side of your hairline but not the other.

However, is normal for a receding hairline to be asymmetrical, where one side sheds quicker than the other.

An uneven hairline is a common concern, especially among men, whether there is hair loss or not. Whilst it can be due to a receding hairline or widow's peak where one side of the hairline does not recede at the same rate as the other, it can also just be the natural shape of your hairline.

If you already have a naturally uneven hairline, any receding may make this even more noticeable.

The fact that there is Male Pattern Hair Loss in your family - regardless of which side it is on as it can be inherited from both sides - does suggest you may carry the necessary genetic traits for this hereditary condition. Whilst it can skip a generation, if this were the case, it is unlikely you would then be seeing signs of hairloss.

Therefore, if you have started noticing increasingly thinning hair anywhere where the follicles are susceptible to Male Pattern Baldness, and the effects of DHT - anywhere along the top of the scalp from the crown to the hairline and temples - it is likely your underlying genetic predisposition is now active.

A consultation with a professional hair loss specialist would be required to get a confirmed diagnosis. They could also provide you with recommendations for a personalised hair loss treatment course, based on your age, medical profile, level and pattern of shedding.

When it comes to restoring a receding hairline, Belgravia generally recommends a two-pronged attack, featuring the oral DHT-blocking tablet finasteride 1mg and topical applications of high strength minoxidil to help promote expedited hair growth.

This approach can be further enhanced by the use of appropriate hair growth supporting products, such as the FDA-cleared low-level laser therapy device, the LaserBand. This uses medical-grade laser diodes embedded in an ergonomic headband to stimulate ATP production, and encourage active hair regrowth. This is worn for 3 sessions per week, each lasting 90 seconds to 3 minutes, depending on the model.

There are a number of hair loss solutions such as these available for regrowing a receding hairline so, we hope the above information is helpful and recommend having a one-to-one conversation with a specialist for further details specific to your situation.