Tulisa's Hairline Causes Concern During X Factor Return

When X Factor judge, Mel B, fell sick and had to pull out of Saturday's semi-final, it paved the way for former panel member Tulisa Contostavlos to make her return to the show. However, stepping in to support Kate Moss's favourite contestant, Andrea Faustini (pictured), who came third, wasn't quite the triumphant comeback she might have hoped for thanks to her 'unusual' hairline.

Painted hairline

Looking glamorous alongside Geordie judge, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Tulisa wore a red fringed mini-dress by Stella McCartney, and had her hair boosted with voluminous hair extensions for the occasion. Less glamorous, however, was the stripe of makeup that had been painted in an arc along her hairline, overlapping with the top of her forehead.

The bizarre look was instantly noticeable to viewers, leading to a stream of unkind commentary about her '#hairfail' and '#legohair' from fans of the show on Twitter.

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Possible explanations

Whilst using makeup matched to the hair's colour to make thinning hair appear thicker is a professional trick often used by celebrities for TV appearances, the aim is for the look to still follow the star's original hairline so that it is not too obvious.

In this case, however, Tulisa's hairline appeared to have moved considerably further down her forehead than we are used to seeing. Unfortunately this gave her an unnaturally defined hairline which was painted on so low that it was picked up clearly by TV cameras - and viewers, not just in HD.

Perhaps Tulisa's stylists may have felt the need to colour her scalp to conceal any signs of the hair extension joins. Another possibility is that tanned Tulisa's naturally pale scalp may have been visible around her hairline if there was any suggestion of hair loss, potentially due to tugging from the weight of the extensions. Properly applied, temporarily disguising this with makeup could have ensured it was not visible on camera.

Receding hairline in women

If you notice signs of hair loss around your hairline, this could be an early warning of female pattern hair loss. Whilst genetic hair loss tends to cause generally thinning hair in women and is more likely to cause a receding hairline in men, it is possible for this to present in women, too.

2014 has been a stressful year for Tulisa and has seen her having to defend herself against drug dealing charges in a high profile court case, media scrutiny over her looks after having some cosmetic procedures on her face, and fighting to get her career back on track. It is possible that any genetic predisposition towards hair loss could have been exacerbated by the pressure she has been under, with stress triggering shedding.

Another hair loss condition which can cause the scalp to become more noticeable around the hairline is Traction Alopecia. This can be caused by an over-reliance on hair extensions as the extra weight and their tight-fitting nature causes constant tension on the hair shafts, stretching follicles and making them slow down then eventually cease hair production. As the hairline bears the brunt of carrying this weight, this is usually one of the first areas to show signs of trouble.

Treatments available

Rather than trying to conceal a hair loss condition, it is generally better to establish the root cause then seek advice from a specialist who can recommend the appropriate hair loss treatment.

Click on the images above to see how Diane's thinning hair has been transformed by her female pattern hair loss treatment course

The clinically-proven product Minoxidil forms the basis of our comprehensive female hair loss treatment plans, as this helps to spur the hair back into production, inhibiting hair loss and promoting regrowth.

Although it is only licensed for treating genetic hair loss conditions, we have found our bespoke minoxidil, formulated in our in-clinic pharmacies exclusively for Belgravia clients, has produced promising results for the treatment of Traction Alopecia too.

You can find many examples of clients who have benefited from following these treatment plans in our Hair Loss Success Stories, including Diane, pictured right, whose thinning hair around her hairline was caused by female pattern hair loss and who experienced fantastic regrowth from following a personalised Belgravia treatment plan. Click the images on the right to view her full Success Story.