For us and many of our regular readers, a gentleman should always look great from top to bottom and that goes from the shined Oxfords on your feet to the Homburg on your head. And what you have under your Homburg, your hair or lack thereof. Today, we’re going to discuss five hairstyles that we think look great on men, as they go through hair thinning.
It’s important to note that hereditary hair changes like hair loss affect hundreds of millions of men across the globe. By age 50, about 85% of men will experience receding or lost hair. This is especially common for middle-aged gentlemen. But, men at almost any age can experience hair loss.
Just because you’re losing your hair, doesn’t mean you can’t have a great haircut that makes you look and feel confident and handsome. Here, we’ll share great haircuts, discuss why they word for thinning hair, and how to cute and style them. To help you further, we’ve organized this guide around the Hamilton–Norwood scale, which standardizes the stages of male hair loss.
Once you find the stage that most closely matches your hair pattern and select a haircut that compliments your thinning hair, you’ll look your best no matter where you fall on the Hamilton-Norwood scale.
Stages in the Hamilton-Norwood scale: Stage Three
If you’re up to a 3 on the Hamilton-Norwood scale, we want to look at modified classic haircuts. We’ve shares examples of these in our guide to 5 Classic and Timelessly Stylish Haircuts, and they can be applied to men with even moderate hair loss. They will also help you adapt many haircuts to account for thinning hair.
You can adjust cuts to be shorter. Ironically, having less shorter hair makes it almost look like you have more. Follicles are not weighed down by length; having more volume makes your hair appear thicker. Texture also makes your hair look thicker.
You can add products like clays, molding pastes, or gels. Be sure to pick what works best for your skin and your hair. Raphael, for example, avoids pomade because they give them acne. I avoid them because it wouldn’t do much.
In general, though, here are our tips:
- If you don’t like products in your hair, drying your hair with a blow dryer will also add texture, and be sure to use a towel to remove excess moisture.
- With fingers, comb hair upwards while blow-drying with medium heat.
- Section handfuls of your hair with your fingers and blow dry on high heat.
- Proceed to style your hair as usual.
Of course, you can adjust haircuts to reflect the realities of your hair. If your hair isn’t very full on top, perhaps go with a short pompadour instead of a full pompadour. If your hair is receding, proceed to style the undercut to mask the problem areas. Utilize shorter sides to make the rest of your hair appear longer in contrast. Use products to hold the hair in place to obscure receding, patchy, or bald areas.
A skilled and trusty barber can help you make the most of any haircut work for you. A dependable barber is as indispensable to a gentleman as a good cobbler or tailor. Please remember healthy hair is also very essential, which we cover in our guide to 15 Healthy Hair Tips for Men. These tips and tricks can help you update many classic haircuts to work with thinning hair.
Cut 1. The Ivy League Style (Stage Four)
Even if you’re a four, you still have a fair amount of hair on top of your head. We suggest enjoying it while you still can. It’s like Preston says: “Hair today, gone tomorrow.”
The Ivy League is a classic style that harkens back to a preppy and youthful collegiate time. Consisting of longer hair in front that gradually fades into tapered sides and back. Essentially, a crew cut with more length on top. Short sides de-emphasize receding hair at the temples. This will also emphasize hair on the crown. Hair length can be easily adjusted to fit your needs.
If hair is still fairly thick, experiment with a more voluminous crown. If hair is thinning, keep it shorter and tighter. This could work with straight or curly hair. A barber can help you choose what will complement your face and hair the best.
General Directions
- Using scissors, cut your hair in front to around one to two inches.
- Shorten to around one and a half to one inch on the crown and rear of your head. The transition here should be smooth and gradual.
- Taper the sides and the back with clippers.
The length that looks best on you will depend on how much hair you actually have. If hair is fuller, use a number four or even a number five guard to keep hair longer. If hair is thinner, use a number three or even a number two. Because the back is tapered, you can partially mask a small bald spot.
Here are some versatile styling options:
A part will look more formal. A semi or messy part will look more youthful. Use your preferred product for a finished look that will help you keep every hair in place. Light or medium holds tend to work best or leave it without product for some casual elegance.
2. Slicked Back (Stage Five)
As you enter stage five on the Hamilton-Norwood scale, you’ll experience more drastic thinning on top. Now, it’s time to focus on haircuts that layer hair to bulk up those thinning follicles.
The name isn’t very original, but the slicked-back style is great for men with thinning hair. This works great when you’re taking care of business or even walking the red carpet. This can work with a variety of hair lengths and thicknesses. This works with straight to wavy hair. Wavy hair may require a heavy-hold product.
This look is simple to achieve and to style. Traditionally, hair is worn medium or long on the sides. In modern iterations, sides can be tapered, faded, or undercut.
For many gentlemen, we suggest the following:
- With scissors, cut hair on the back and sides to about an inch with three inches on top. However, hair can be worn longer or shorter as desired.
- After showering and towel drying your hair, comb it backwards with a wide-toothed comb.
- Apply a small amount of your preferred product, rub it on your fingers, and apply it to your hair. Go from front to back on the top layer of hair and then pass through closer to the roots.
Depending on your hair texture, you may need a product with a medium or even heavy hold. Apply hairspray if desired to lock in current styling. For some men, hair will naturally flare to either the left or the right depending on your natural part. This will look more casual and organic than combed straight back.
If you opt to have your hair slicked back, make sure you keep your hair shorter on the sides and longer on the top to maintain a youthful look. Please be aware of using shiny products unless you’re going for a more vintage look. The slick back style is ideal for men with prominent widow’s peaks or heavily receding hairlines.
3. Caesar Cut (Stage Five)
This popular haircut was named after and partially inspired by the Roman statesman Gaius Julius Caesar. Apparently, Caesar was very self-conscious about his thinning hair. According to Roman historian Suetonius, his baldness was a disfigurement that excessively bothered him.
For this reason, he was accustomed to combing forward his stunning locks to the front of his head. And among all the honors bestowed upon him by the Senate and the people, there was none that he accepted or utilized more than the right to wear a laurel wreath at all times.
We hope that you’ll try out the Caesar because it’s a timeless, rugged, and athletic look, but not because you’re embarrassed about your thinning hair. Remember, with the Caesar, the hair is cut short and combed forward toward the face. Short hair increases volume and gives texture. The forward motion of hair gives a volumizing effect.
This can also help cover up a receding hairline. This also works for both straight and curly hair. Your barber can assist you with finding the right lengths for you.
In general, here are the steps to achieve the cut:
- Use scissors to cut your hair down evenly from two inches to half an inch based on your hair density.
- Proceed to add that Caesar fringe if desired. Some modern Caesars featured fades, tapers, and undercuts. Amore youthful look can appear too trendy if too dramatic.
- For men with coarse hair, there’s a variation sometimes called the Dark Caesar. This also works well with long hair or short hair.
- Be sure to leave an even layer of three-fourths to one and a half inches. It could also be a bit longer in the front to create a strong horizontal emphasis.
4. Buzz Cut (Stage Six)
Once you’re up to a six on the scale, you’ve entered the later stages of hair loss. Hair is receding heavily from temples, very thin on top, a bald spot may have grown to create a disconnected patch of hair. Ironically, to get hair looking at the best at this stage, it might be best to take hair away.
Leaving very thin hair in place tends to draw attention to hair loss. Oftentimes, you’re much better off just shaving your hair. This conscious action makes you seem more in control and confident. It’s clear you’re aware of your hair loss and you’re practically taking steps to make sure your hair looks at its best. A simple buzz cut is an extremely versatile and great choice.
As your hair continues to thin, you can adjust your buzz cut shorter and shorter. As much as possible, try to ensure that all hair on your head is the same length and density. This creates a more uniform and visually appealing appearance. Noticeable differences in length and density are more jarring and do draw attention to the hair loss.
As hair recedes, don’t be afraid to shave off patchy thin areas. Patchy sections of hair tend to look unkempt and awkward. Razoring away remnants of thinning hair looks much cleaner and neater. What’s the best way to shave it? We’ll explain as we discuss the final steps in male pattern baldness.
5. The Shaved Head (Stage Seven)
Up to seven on the Hamilton-Norwood scale, we’ve reached the final step of hair loss: all or nearly all of your hair is gone on top. You’re left with only your Socratic garland of hair around your back and sides. As mentioned above, a buzz cut can still work fine. This is a good option if you want to use the hair on the back and sides to frame your face and head. But, what if you’re feeling bold about going bald?
Consider “the shaved head.” With a shaved head, you totally embrace balding. This is an audacious look that goes well with athletic looks and strong facial features. This is also a great way to own your hair loss.
Shaving your head is very similar to shaving your face. You can use special, conventional, or electric razors that are designed for shaving the head. But, take note: these are not necessary. These just might be safer or more convenient for some gentlemen.
As a general guide, follow these steps to shave your head:
- Use clippers to get your hair as short as possible.
- Check for moles, bumps, bites, etc. before starting with a razor.
- Prepare your head for shaving the same way you would your face. Use lotions, creams, etc. Try to avoid the common shaving mistakes that we list in our guide to get the best results.
- Shave carefully going with the grain of hair. This will take much longer than shaving your face. Go slowly and carefully; resist the urge to rush.
- Facial hair pairs extremely well with a shaved head or even a buzz cut.
Conclusion
As men start to lose their hair they’ll do almost anything to keep it, but for men and gentlemen, it’s probably best to just accept your hair loss.
Rather than chugging hair restoration gummies, take all the fear, frustration, and anxiety you’re feeling and channel it into something positive. Eat better, exercise more, take up a new hobby; feeling happier and healthier will give you the confidence to pull off any hairstyle no matter how much or how little hair you actually have.
We hope that some of these haircuts that we discussed today will inspire some of you gentlemen with thinning hair to be adventurous and find a haircut that works best for your style.
Outfit Rundown
I am wearing a brown denim jacket-inspired moleskin jacket from Bonobos and a blue and white checked, casual shirt with dark denim. My Gentleman’s Gazette shadow stripe socks and white leather sneakers.
And, of course, you can always find socks like these and other great accessories at the Fort Belvedere shop.
Tired of looking at shaved heads and long beards. Most of the long beards I see look dirty and unsanitary.
It’s hard for me to imagine anyone willingly choosing a “Caesar Cut” unless they made a living impersonating Zero Mostel.
And, if you’d like, invest in a quality toupee, for instance from the company, Hollywood Lace. Excellent choice, and you can self educate on how to do a shape and cut in, utilizing a FLOWBEE haircutting system, and a quality set of WAHL clippers. And, you can do your own self barbering. Over 30 years, I have saved well over $20,000 in barber fees.
I taped croutons on my bald head for the Caesar salad cut. Goes great with the right dressing, which is what this place is all about.
Haha! Good one, William!
“Schwarzkopf göt2b glued”: when you want a brand name that means “black head” for your skin!
I’m at Stage 8, when my wife looks at where your hair once was and says “I wish I had gotten the extended warranty on you.”
Seriously, great article and much appreciated especially for explaining what a buzz cut can be — without the fancy patterns that wouldn’t work for all of us.
This was an interesting discussion and after reading it, I promptly cut my remaining, greying stage IV hair to a quarter inch long. It’s I’m happy with how I look, but in cool New England weather, my head gets COLD! In the house, too! So indoors I wear a soft wool fedora, since I’m not all that fond of beanies. Since I began reading the Gazette, I’ve learned that it’s bad manners to wear a hat indoors. What is the best thing I can do to keep my nearly bald head comfortable at home?
Just because you’re losing your hair, doesn’t mean you can’t have a great haircut that makes you look and feel confident and handsome. Even though you lose your hair you need to be confident.
As a hairdresser/ barber of 40 years and thinning myself, the right cut is very personal and can look better from certain angles, taking in the shape of your head and how you hold yourself in conversation. Slightly darker hair colour adds thickness and controlling volume creates a good head outline. Using the right conditioner will stop that bald head shine coming through thinning hair too. Also shirt collars, jackets and anything around your neck can alter the amount of bare skin that’s exposed. If you’re thinning, using a high collar will cover a thick neck in a similar way that a hat covers bare scalp. Having a custom and natural haircut will deliver personal confidence that you’re looking the best a man can get.