It is common for people to lose hair on their crowns over the course of their lives. Usually, a bald spot on the crown develops due to androgenetic alopecia. However, there are other reasons why this can happen. The problem is that it’s hard to see the bald spot on the crown yourself. But there are some things you can do to identify crown hair loss while it’s still in its early stages.
While the hair loss may not be completely reversible, there are treatments to slow it down and even improve the overall density in the crown area. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about crown bald spots.
Where Is The Crown Of Your Hair?
The crown, also known as the vertex, is the highest point on the scalp. It’s the curving top you see at the back of the head.
The primary function of the crown area, like other parts of the skull, is to protect the brain underneath it. However, it also has a cosmetic function because of hair growth. Usually, it’s in the form of a circular pattern called a hair whorl.
It’s more visible when the hair is short. And since men’s hair is typically shorter, you can clearly see a hair whorl (or two) on their scalps, and it may also come with a cowlick.
Here, it should be noted that because of the hair whorl, the crown area of the scalp usually appears thinner. It’s simply because of how the hair is arranged there, and it may look even thinner or balder if you have more than one hair whorl. So, thin crowns aren’t always indicative of hair loss.
Does everyone have a bald spot on their crown?
Not everyone has a bald spot on their crown. Your scalp might be slightly visible in the crown area because of the whorl, but that is considered normal.
How Do You Know If Your Crown Hair Is Thinning?
If you’re losing crown hair, you might notice localised or overall thinning of the hair on the top and front of your scalp. As a result, you may feel a stronger breeze on your crown area. Furthermore, you may have a greater chance of getting a sunburn.
Depending on the cause of crown hair loss, the quality of your hair might also change quite prominently. For instance, the shaft’s thickness may decrease, the texture may become drier, or the colour may lighten.
You can also just hold a mirror to the back of your head to see if your crown hair is thinning. If not that, ask someone to take a picture of it. That way, you’ll have a clear before and after shot of your thinning crown.
What Causes Hair Loss On Crown?
Androgenetic alopecia, also known as pattern baldness, is the most common cause of hair loss in the crown. As seen in the Norwood scale, it results in progressive hair loss, starting with the recession of the hairline followed by the thinning of the crown.
If genetic hair loss is the reason why your crown is thinning, it’s likely that it will go completely bald after some time. It’s because the follicles in that area are sensitive to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and that essentially miniaturizes (shrinks) the follicles.
Other than androgenetic alopecia, there can be other causes of crown hair loss. These are as follows:
- Traction alopecia – tension on follicles from tight hairstyles
- Trichotillomania – urge to pull hair from the scalp
- Alopecia areata – immune cells attack healthy hair follicles
- Telogen effluvium – physical or emotional stress leads to hair loss all over the scalp, including the crown
- Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia – scarring hair loss that begins at the crown and spreads outwards
- Others – damage from chemicals and heat tools, a side effect of drugs/medical therapies, and trauma can also cause hair loss in the crown and other parts of the scalp
Since there are many different causes of hair loss, it’s important to get yourself checked for an accurate diagnosis on your crown hair loss.
What Does A Thinning Crown Look Like?
A thinning crown may look different depending on what type of hair loss you have. Here are a few examples of patients who have lost hair on their crowns for various reasons.
- Androgenetic alopecia
- Alopecia areata
Harvey CJ. Combined Diet and Supplementation Therapy Resolves Alopecia Areata in a Paediatric Patient: A Case Study. Cureus. 2020 Nov 7;12(11):e11371. doi: 10.7759/cureus.11371. PMID: 33304703; PMCID: PMC7721078/Creative Commons
- Trichotillomania
Patkar P, Patil AA, Singh I, Priyambada R, Chaudhury S. Trichotillomania in childhood: A case series. Ind Psychiatry J. 2021 Oct;30(Suppl 1):S243-S248. doi: 10.4103/0972-6748.328820. Epub 2021 Oct 22. PMID: 34908700; PMCID: PMC8611599/CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Chemotherapy
Umar S, Carter MJ. A Multimodal Hair-Loss Treatment Strategy Using a New Topical Phytoactive Formulation: A Report of Five Cases. Case Rep Dermatol Med. 2021 Feb 4;2021:6659943. doi: 10.1155/2021/6659943. PMID: 33614172; PMCID: PMC7878086/Creative Commons
- Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia
Lubov JE, Okereke UR, Clapp B, Toyohara J, Taiwò D, Kakpovbia E, Lo Sicco K, Adotama P. Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia in Black men: A case series highlighting key clinical features in this cohort. JAAD Case Rep. 2023 May 30;38:27-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jdcr.2023.05.026. PMID: 37600725; PMCID: PMC10433287/CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
How Long Does Crown Balding Take?
According to Patient UK, it usually takes 15-20 years for your scalp to go bald due to male pattern baldness. So, crown hair loss may proceed gradually over a decade or so.
However, other types of hormonal hair loss can also result in gradual thinning. For instance, diffuse hair loss due to thyroid dysfunction (overactive or underactive thyroid gland) can progress slowly over several months.
Crown hair loss isn’t always gradual, though. Depending on the cause of the problem, it can also be sudden. For example, alopecia areata begins quite suddenly and leaves bald patches on the scalp.
Therefore, it depends on why you’re losing hair in the first place.
How To Hide Hair Loss At The Crown?
If you have a bald spot on your crown, you can hide it with:
- Hair toppers
- Wiglets
- Hair fibres
- Scalp micropigmentation
- Volumiser spray
- Buzzcuts
While these hair accessories can provide a temporary fix, you shouldn’t delay diagnosis and treatment of the underlying problem.
How Do You Fix Crown Hair Loss?
Certain medications may be recommended as treatment options for crown thinning. These can include:
- Minoxidil
- Finasteride
- Dutasteride
- Spironolactone
- Steroids
There are other non-surgical alternatives as well, such as laser hair growth therapy or platelet-rich plasma injections for promoting regrowth.
You can also permanently restore hair in your crown area by getting a hair transplant.
For this, you might need as many as 700 to 2,500 hair grafts, depending on the extent of your crown hair loss.
If you’re also experiencing significant hair loss in other parts of the scalp, such as the front, top and temples, you might need a 4,000 to around 5,000-graft hair transplant or an even bigger session. However, you’ll need to have more than one procedure to ensure the health of your donor area.
Keep in mind that treatment will depend on the reason why you’re losing crown hair. For instance, if your crown is thinning due to traction alopecia, all you need to do is stop tying your hair too tightly. But if the hair loss has become permanent, surgery and medications are the usual options.
Can You Regrow Hair On Crown?
Regrowing hair on your crown is possible if the hair follicles haven’t been permanently damaged or miniaturized. Still, if you’re experiencing progressive hair loss, it may be possible to halt or slow down the process with the right treatment.
On the other hand, if the hair loss is temporary, your hair will start growing after the underlying problem has been resolved. If, for example, you have a bald spot on your crown due to severe alopecia areata, hair growth should restart after you’ve received treatment.
How To Prevent Hair Loss On Crown?
It may not be possible to prevent crown hair due to permanent scalp alopecia. But you can prevent it from happening in some other instances. For that, make sure to:
- Wear hairstyles that don’t pull on your scalp.
- Avoid using a lot of heat-styling tools.
- Use products that don’t damage the hair or scalp skin.
- Eat healthy and nutritious meals.
- Keep your scalp clean with regular washes.
- Seek help from a mental health professional (for trichotillomania or stress telogen effluvium)
Taking these steps can also prevent hair loss on the crown from getting worse.
Experiencing Hair Loss?
Longevita is a trusted facilitator of surgical and non-surgical solutions for hair loss in both London and Istanbul. We arrange access to teams of highly experienced professionals who can help you achieve the best possible results. If you’re interested in starting your journey with us, do not hesitate to get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Seeing your scalp through your crown hair isn’t always a cause for concern. It usually appears thinner because of the circular pattern of the hair whorl.
If you’re losing crown hair due to androgenetic alopecia, balding can begin as early as your teenage years. However, it can happen at any age, depending on the cause of crown hair loss.
If you want to hide the bald spot in your crown, you can consider shaving your head. It’s up to you, but there are other options that you can also consider.
If crown hair loss is due to androgenetic alopecia, you can eventually experience a complete loss of hair on the top and front of the scalp.
Yes, women can develop a bald spot in the crown due to different types of hair loss, such as female pattern baldness, traction alopecia and alopecia areata. Whatever may be the case, it’s important to get in touch with your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
Sudden hair loss at the crown can occur due to different types of hair loss, such as telogen effluvium and alopecia areata. You must get in touch with your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
Treatment can help crown hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia. Hair loss is also usually reversible in alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, early-stage traction alopecia and other types of hair loss. However, in scarring hair loss, like central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, the crown hair loss will be irreversible.
Stress may result in thinning of the crown area due to telogen effluvium, trichotillomania and even alopecia areata. This can be accompanied by hair loss in other areas of the scalp or even the body.
Dr Cagla
Dr Cagla earned her medical degree at Trakya University’s Faculty of Medicine in Bulgaria and has almost 6 years of hair transplantation experience. She is a specialist in FUE, DHI and Sapphire hair transplants of the scalp, eyebrows and beard and has performed over 6,000 surgeries. Dr Cagla is multilingual, with fluency in English, Bulgarian and Turkish.
