Haircut
The most important thing to start with if you have thinning hair, Ben explains, is to make sure you're getting the right kind of haircut. "The shorter you go, the better," he says. "Especially on the sides. This is because it can help to disguise the lack of density on the top of your head."
"The top area is typically the area where you'll see the most thinning, at least at first," he continues. "If you have a hairstyle that's an even length all over, you'll be able to easily see the areas that are thinner, because they're usually a lighter colour compared to the sides, where the hair is thicker." Therefore, getting your hair cut shorter at the sides can help to make that disparity in volume less obvious.
Alternatively, he adds, choosing to shave your head can lead to a "proportionally neater look overall."
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Hairstyle
"I always recommend some kind of side part," says Ben. "The advantage of a side part is that you can place it precisely on the recessed area. This reduces the visual impact of the recession, as you'd expect a parted area to show scalp anyway."
He also advises shaping your hair at an angle when styling it, rather than straight up and spiky, as the latter can reveal more scalp.
Hair Product
"While hairstyle is certainly important, the product you use to create the style is arguably even more so," says Ben. "If you're using the wrong hairstyling product, it can make your whole head of hair look incredibly thin."
Greasy-finish hair products such as certain kinds of gels and pomades, for instance, clumps hair strands together, exposing more of the scalp. Ben recommends some form of matte wax or powder, which tend to create a drier, more natural-looking finish.
Tweezers
Tactical plucking can help to reduce the "M" shape that can often show up on a receding hairline, which often worsens the appearance. Plucking certain areas of your hairline can give it a "smooth, consistent look," explains Ben.
"When you have hair loss, you often find your hairline gets patchy and weird," he says. Removing some of these patchier hairs can create the illusion of a fuller, more natural-looking hairline.
Hair colour
"I've found that having a hair colour which closely matches your skin tone can help to somewhat conceal the effects of a receding hairline or thinning hair," he says. "If the hair tone is closer to that of the skin, your eyes will be less able to identify areas of thinning in comparison to the skin, reducing their overall impact."
As this may involve dying or bleaching, Ben acknowledges that this option might not necessarily be for everyone.
This article originally appeared on Men's Health US.
