You’re looking in the mirror, pulling your hair back, and there it is. Or rather, there it isn't. Finding out you're losing hair on sides of your head is honestly jarring because most of the "balding" talk we hear is about the crown or a receding hairline. But the temples? The area right above your ears? That feels different. It feels specific.
It’s frustrating.
Most people assume it’s just standard male or female pattern baldness, but the sides of the head—the lateral and temporal regions—often tell a much more complex story about what’s going on inside your body. Sometimes it’s genetics. Sometimes it's literally how you're wearing your ponytail. Sometimes it's a sign that your thyroid is waving a white flag.
Let's get into what’s actually happening to your scalp.
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The Reality of Losing Hair on Sides
When we talk about thinning on the sides, we’re usually looking at the temporal peaks or the parietal hair. In men, this is often the "V" shape of Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA). But if you’re seeing thinning that extends all the way down to the ears or even behind them, we might be looking at something else entirely.
Retrograde alopecia is a sneaky one. It’s basically pattern baldness, but it works in reverse, climbing up from the neck and the sides above the ears. If you’ve ever seen someone with a very thin "edge" around their ears while the top stays relatively thick for a while, that’s often the culprit.
Then there’s the lifestyle factor.
Traction Alopecia is incredibly common for anyone who loves a tight "clean girl" aesthetic bun or heavy braids. Basically, you are physically pulling the hair out of the follicle. Over time, the follicle just gives up. It scars over. Once it scars, that hair isn't coming back without a surgeon’s help. This is why you see so many athletes or people in the military struggling with side-thinning; the constant tension is a killer.
The Hormone Connection
Your hair follicles are basically tiny sensors. They are incredibly sensitive to changes in your blood chemistry.
- Thyroid Issues: If your thyroid (either hyper or hypo) is out of whack, hair loss is a primary symptom. Specifically, many patients notice thinning at the outer edges of their eyebrows and the sides of their scalp.
- Postpartum and Menopause: Estrogen is a hair-growth protector. When it drops, the androgen hormones (like DHT) get louder. They start shrinking the follicles on the sides and top.
- Telogen Effluvium: This is the "shock" hair loss. Did you have a high fever three months ago? A major surgery? A massive breakup? Your body might have shifted all your hair into the "shedding" phase at once. It usually looks diffuse, but for many, it becomes most apparent when they pull their hair back and see through to the skin on the sides.
Is It Just Stress?
Honestly? Usually not just stress. People love to blame stress for everything, and while high cortisol can absolutely push hair into a resting phase, it’s rarely the only factor when you’re losing hair on sides.
Chronic stress leads to inflammation. Inflammation restricts blood flow to the scalp. If your scalp isn't getting oxygenated blood, the follicles on the periphery—which are already further from the main blood supply—suffer first. Dr. Antonella Tosti, a world-renowned hair expert, often points out that "stress-induced" loss is typically a temporary shedding called Telogen Effluvium. If the hair has been thinning for years, it’s likely something more permanent.
Nutritional Gaps You Might Be Ignoring
We aren't just talking about "eating your veggies." Hair is a non-essential tissue. Your body doesn't care if you have a full head of hair; it cares about your heart, lungs, and brain. If you are low on nutrients, your body redirects those resources away from your scalp.
- Iron and Ferritin: This is the big one. If your ferritin (stored iron) is below 50-70 ng/mL, your hair might shed.
- Vitamin D: Low D is linked to Alopecia Areata, which can cause patchy loss on the sides.
- Zinc and Biotin: While biotin is overhyped, a genuine deficiency will cause brittle, thinning edges.
Medical Conditions That Mimic Standard Balding
Sometimes, losing hair on sides is actually an autoimmune issue. Alopecia Areata often starts as a small, smooth circle right above the ear. It feels like a coin. No redness, no itching, just... gone.
Then there is Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia (FFA). This is a tough one. It’s a scarring alopecia that mostly affects post-menopausal women but is increasingly seen in men. It causes the hairline to "recede" globally—moving back from the forehead and the sides like a headband is being pushed further back. It’s often accompanied by small bumps around the follicles. If you see this, stop reading and go to a dermatologist immediately. Scarring is permanent.
Dealing with "The Shed"
If you start a treatment like Minoxidil (Rogaine), you might actually lose more hair on the sides at first. This is the "dread shed." It’s terrifying.
Basically, the medicine is forcing the old, weak hairs out to make room for new, stronger ones. Most people quit during this phase because they think it’s making things worse. It’s not. It’s actually a sign the medicine is working. You have to push through the three-month mark to see the turnaround.
What Actually Works?
Forget the "miracle" shampoos you see on TikTok. Most of them are just thickening agents that coat the hair to make it look fatter. They don't grow anything.
The Clinical Route:
Minoxidil is still the gold standard for the sides, especially when combined with a derma-roller. Research published in the International Journal of Trichology suggests that microneedling the scalp once a week can significantly boost the absorption of hair growth serums.
The Mechanical Route:
If you have Traction Alopecia, the fix is free: Stop pulling your hair. Use silk scrunchies. Wear your hair down. Give those follicles a break.
The Biological Route:
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injections have become huge. They take your blood, spin it down, and inject the growth factors back into the thinning areas. It’s expensive—usually $500 to $1,500 per session—and you need a few. Does it work for everyone? No. But for those with early-stage thinning on the sides, it can be a game-changer.
Actionable Steps to Take Today
If you're noticing your scalp through your hair on the sides, don't panic, but don't ignore it either. Time is the most important variable here.
Check your ponytail tension. If you feel a "pull" on your forehead or temples, it’s too tight. Loosen it. Now.
Get a specific blood panel. Don't just ask for "blood work." Ask your doctor to check your Ferritin, Vitamin D, TSH (Thyroid), and Free Testosterone levels. Knowing these numbers takes the guesswork out of the equation.
Switch your part. If you always part your hair the same way, you’re exposing the same area of the scalp to environmental stress and tension. Shifting your part by even a half-inch can relieve pressure on the sides.
Look at your scalp under a magnifying mirror. Is the skin smooth and shiny? That might be scarring. Is there redness or scaling? That could be Seborrheic Dermatitis, which causes hair loss through inflammation. If you see hair "miniaturizing"—where some strands are thick and others are baby-fine and translucent—that’s a classic sign of pattern thinning.
Invest in a Scalp Massage. It sounds woo-woo, but a 2016 study in Eplasty showed that 4 minutes of standardized scalp massage daily increased hair thickness by stretching the cells of the hair follicles. It’s free and it feels good, so why not?
The most important thing to remember is that losing hair on sides is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Whether it’s a temporary reaction to a crazy year or the start of a genetic shift, catching it early is the difference between a quick fix and a permanent change. Pay attention to the signs your body is sending you through your hair; it’s usually trying to tell you something about your overall health.