This Trichologist Has Never Seen So Much Hairline Thinning—And Says One Trendy Hairstyle Could Be To Blame

 

Sleek hair now, sparse edges later? Here’s what to know.

My messy millennial top knot has recently morphed into a slick-back, thanks to my cute Gen Z coworkers. After wearing it a few times, I get the hype. It hides day-two (or three…or four) greasy roots, snatches your face, and makes me feel put together. But just as I was getting into the trend, a chat with my favorite trichologist had me loosening my tight bun on the spot. Shab Caspara, a board-certified trichologist and founder of Caspara Studio in New York City, told me she’s never seen so much hairline thinning in her practice—and she suspects those slicked-back styles are a major culprit. So much for my Gen Z makeover.

 

Why Your Slick-Back Could Be Stressing Your Hairline

The appeal is obvious: A slicked-back bun looks polished, keeps every last flyaway in place, and delivers a little face-lift effect without an appointment. But Caspara is seeing a downside in her studio.

“I’ve never seen this much hairline thinning in my studio, and my clients keep getting younger,” she says. Many are content creators and women in the public eye who regularly wear the style because it photographs well. And the appeal crosses generations: “Gen Z started it, but I’m seeing it just as much in women in their 30s and 40s.” (Guilty.)

For Caspara, one clue is where the thinning appears. “Styling-related thinning shows up exactly where the tension is: the temples and front hairline,” she says. Still, location alone doesn’t confirm the cause, and styling-related damage can overlap with other forms of hair loss.

It’s the Tension—Not the Sleek Look

Repeated pulling can lead to traction alopecia, the medical term for hair loss caused by tension on the hair. The hairline is often one of the first places it becomes noticeable. Over time, continued pulling can damage follicles and cause permanent loss.

“Constant pulling inflames and weakens the follicle, so hairs grow back finer and shorter until some stop growing altogether,” says Caspara. “Caught early, traction alopecia is reversible. Left too long, it can become permanent.”

That doesn’t mean every smooth bun is a problem. “It’s the tension, not the look,” she says. Her advice: Leave a little slack at the front, secure the style lower on your head, and use a smoothing cream to help tame flyaways rather than pulling everything tighter. Sleek doesn’t have to mean shellacked into submission.

Watch for These Early Warning Signs

A style that leaves your scalp tender—or makes you sigh with relief when you finally take it down—is worth reconsidering. Caspara also flags redness, small bumps along the hairline, and temples that are starting to look wispy.

But discomfort isn’t a prerequisite. “Many of my clients felt nothing until they saw the thinning in photos,” she says.

And those little hairs around your temples? Don’t automatically assume they’re fresh growth. Short hairs can reflect breakage or changes in how hair grows, so a newly fuzzy-looking hairline is something to have assessed rather than diagnosed in the bathroom mirror.

Give Your Everyday Bun a Break

How tightly you pull, how long you leave the style in, and how often you repeat it all matter, says Caspara. Her biggest concern is the everyday bun worn for eight-plus hours in the same position.

Rather than making a tight slick-back your default, save it for occasional wear and choose looser styles more often. Caspara also recommends taking your hair down when you get home. Your bun does not need to work overtime.

Be especially gentle if your hair is fine, bleached, chemically treated, or already thinning, she adds. And if you’re pulling curly or textured hair extra tight to get it smooth, reconsider how much tension you’re using to achieve the finish.

Rethink Your Styling Technique

Caspara recommends letting hair dry most of the way before styling, brushing gently, and choosing a lighter-hold product rather than relying on a firm brush and strong-hold gel to force everything into place.

The goal is to smooth the surface without tugging at the roots. Adding more product—or upgrading to an even tighter elastic—won’t solve the underlying tension.

For a polished alternative, she suggests “a low, loose bun or a soft twist at the nape.” A loosely secured claw clip, silk scrunchie, or spiral tie can also be an option, provided it isn’t pulling. Change your bun’s placement, too, rather than stressing the same section every day.

Noticing Thinning? Act Early

If your hairline is already looking sparse, Caspara recommends stopping tight styles altogether rather than simply loosening your usual bun a little.

“Loosening helps, but if you already see thinning, your follicles need a real break,” she says. Her recommendation is to wear hair down or loosely styled and have the scalp assessed.

Regrowth takes patience. With early traction-related thinning, Caspara says she typically sees improvement in three to six months, with fuller results closer to a year. That’s her experience with clients, though—not a guaranteed timeline for everyone.

A receding hairline, persistent redness or itching, shiny areas of skin, or worsening thinning warrants a dermatologist’s evaluation. Other conditions, including frontal fibrosing alopecia—a type of hair loss that causes scarring along the front and sides of the hairline—require medical diagnosis and treatment.

“I see this in my studio all the time, and the earlier we catch it, the better the outcome,” says Caspara. As for me? A little less snatched suddenly sounds pretty good.

 

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