Can You Measure a Receding Hairline With Your Fingers?'

Davy

Question: I saw on a forum that people were measuring how far their hairlines had receded by using their fingers. They measured how many fingers they could fit from their eyebrows to the start of their hairline so like three fingers or four fingers. Is this an effective way of measuring how far you have receded?

Answer: Hi, Davy. This type of 'test' doesn't really tell you much that you cannot already see in a mirror so in those terms, no, it's not particularly effective.

The width of a finger is a fairly substantial measurement so if you lost this much hair from your hairline you would definitely notice in your reflection without having to measure it. That said, obviously the size of people's hands and fingers vary so clearly this method is in no way scientific! In fact it came about as a result of a playground insult where people with high hairlines were said to have a 'five finger forehead'.

There is no real reason to measure this as all it is really indicating is your forehead height. Some people naturally have higher foreheads so the measurement would be larger than others with a smaller forehead - this can have nothing to do with a receding hairline. It would only be able to reflect any hair loss if you kept a log of this measurement on a regular basis and compared the results over time. However, as before, you would be able to see this type of change without needing to do this.

If you do want to keep a note of your hair's progress, the best way to do this is by taking photos - or having someone else take them for you.

Here at Belgravia we use high resolution photoscans to monitor each clinical client's development. Given cameras can capture angles it is not that easy to see otherwise, this is a much more effective way to clearly assess changes to the hair.

Many clients tell us they knew their hair felt thicker but couldn't believe how much better it looked when they see their photos! You can find examples of these photoscans in our Success Stories gallery to show you the kind of angles to use, and the same angles and ideally lighting should be used each time, so try to take the photos in the same place and at the same time of day each time. Generally it is good to photograph the front, top and back of the head as well as both the left and right sides in order to make thorough comparisons.

Measuring how much you are receding may not be as fulfilling as seeing how much regrowth you are experiencing so, if you are concerned about losing your hair, we recommend you visit a hair loss specialist for advice on restoring your hairline. A personalised course of male hair loss treatment can help to regrow thinning hair, and high strength minoxidil in particular has provided significant results when dealing with receding hairlines.