Haircuts for a Receding Hairline: 24 Styles, From Buzz Cuts to Long Curls

One length all over takes the contrast away. At a number 1, it’s hard to tell where your hair is and where it used to be, and there’s nothing to style in the morning. Our buzz cut guide has 34 more, from no guard to a number 8.

A crew cut gets gradually shorter toward the crown and leaves the longest hair at the front. That longer front sits right where the temples have thinned. It softens the hairline. There are 25 more versions in our crew cut guide.

The Ivy League keeps the sides short and the top just long enough to sweep to one side. Swept across, the longer front covers one temple and makes the shape look intentional. It’s a good cut for grey hair, and it goes with a blazer or a T-shirt.

A choppy top and a short fringe push the eye forward and away from the temples. Point cutting gives the top enough texture to look thicker than it is, and a skin fade keeps the sides tight. Our textured crop guide has 28 more.

A French crop’s forward fringe softens the hairline. The fringe is cut straight and short, so it sits just over the recession instead of hanging into the eyes. A little matte paste worked in with your fingers is all the styling it needs.

The Caesar is short and even all over, with a straight fringe brushed forward to cover the temples. It grows out evenly, so a missed appointment won’t show for a while (your barber may notice, but nobody else will).

A taper fade’s short, clean sides draw focus away from thinning areas and make the top look fuller. A low taper keeps more hair at the sides than a fade does. That helps if your temples are already open. Our taper fade guide has 53 tapers, from a low taper to a skin fade.

Going to skin on the sides makes the top look denser by comparison. Push the top back and up rather than forward, and the fade carries the eye up the side of the head. The fade needs the barber every two to three weeks to stay crisp, so it’s a standing appointment. More heights are in our guide to fade haircuts.

Height on top and tight sides change the proportions of the head, so the corners of the hairline matter less. Rough the top up with clay rather than combing it flat. A short, full beard balances the look.

Almost everything short, with only a small patch on top. If the recession is well along, this cut stops pretending and looks sharp doing it. There’s nothing to style, and the whole thing dries in the time it takes to find your keys.

A widow’s peak is a V-shaped point in the hairline in the center of the forehead. Slick the hair back and the peak becomes the center of the look rather than something to cover. A push-back style with close-cropped sides works with a deeper hairline too.

Sweep the top across and it covers one temple. From the front, the hairline looks more even. Leave enough length at the front to fall over the corner. It’s a relaxed look that works at medium length or a little shorter.

A quiff lifts the front to draw the eye upward and away from thin areas. Keep it short and textured rather than tall and glossy. A blow-dryer and a little clay do the lifting.

A loose fringe falling forward breaks up the line of the hairline. It looks better slightly undone, so it suits anyone who’d rather not spend time in front of the mirror. Let it air dry with a little sea salt spray.

A short, piecey fringe covers the corners without looking like it’s covering anything. Keep it short if the recession is deep, because a long fringe over a very high hairline can draw the eye instead. Our textured fringe guide has 21 more.

Waves give medium hair its own volume. The top looks fuller than straight hair of the same density would. Let the waves do their thing with a little cream. The hairline stays visible, and the cut doesn’t fuss about it.

Short at the front and sides, long at the back, so the length goes where the hair is thickest. The mullet doesn’t depend on a strong hairline, and a receding one can make it look more deliberate. There’s more in our modern mullet guide.

Long hair can work with a receding hairline as long as you stop trying to cover the temples with it. Sweep it straight back to the collar and let the length sit behind the ears, with a taper keeping the neck tidy. Our long hairstyles guide has more ideas.

Curls bring their own volume, so a curly fringe covers more of the corners than straight hair can. A taper keeps the shape round rather than wide. Our curly hairstyles guide has more looks.

Long curls and a full beard pull the weight of the look away from the hairline. Keep the curls defined with a curl cream and leave them alone once they’re in. The beard frames the face the way the front used to.

A line-up tidies the edge, but a hard one pushes a receding hairline back a little every visit. Ask for a natural line-up that follows the hairline you have. A full beard and a close taper do the rest. There are 38 more styles in our haircuts for Black men guide.

A short, even cut and a full grey beard make an easy pair. The beard adds weight to the lower face, so a higher hairline looks balanced. Keep the top short enough that thinner patches don’t show.

When the top has thinned a lot, a bald fade on the sides keeps the whole head even. A short cut evens out the contrast between thick and sparse patches. If it looks patchy at a number 1, a clean shave is the next step.