Why Your Hair's Part Line May Be Widening And What You Can Do About It

Obtaining the tresses of your dreams can be challenging, especially when you're dealing with frustrating hair problems, like thinning and a growing part line. Believe it or not, it is possible to wake up and find that your part is suddenly wider than you remember it being. This can be bothersome if you don't like how this new change looks. As well, this hair issue could be a sign of something more significant happening to your hair.

Your hair part's widening may come down to various causes. Regardless of what the reason is, the sooner you get treatment, the better. New York City-based trichologist Penny James tells Shampoo Lounge, "The quicker you take action when you see the first signs of shedding and widening, the better results you will have."

Even if you are just starting to notice some widening, telling your doctor right away is key to diagnosing and treating this problem. Finding out the cause behind the widening of your hair part is vital to finding the right treatment. In some cases, the treatment calls for a simple lifestyle change, while in others you will need to take a more hands-on approach.

Your hair part's widening might be caused by genetics, lifestyle, or a hormonal change.

According to Hers, some of the causes of a widening hair part could be due to female pattern hair loss, severe stress, illness, trauma, iron deficiency, ponytail-related hair loss, or medical treatments. Female pattern hair loss happens when your androgen hormones affect your hair follicles. This process shortens the growth phase of your hair and the first area where you may start to notice hair loss is precisely in your hair part. Meanwhile, ponytail-related hair loss happens through repeated tight hairstyles like ponytails or braids, which tug at the hair follicles.

Women's Health explains that conditions such as excessive daily hair shedding and reduced hair volume can contribute to the widening of your hair part. Excessive daily hair shedding happens when a significant amount of hair stops growing and moves onto the resting phase of your hair journey. Instead of more hair growing in its place, it simply no longer grows. Reduced hair volume is one of the most common causes of thinning hair and happens when your hair density slowly lowers. This process is mostly caused by your genes but can still be treated.

Although most of the causes of a widening hair part are through no fault of your own, there are still ways to address this issue.

Better Not Younger recommends first seeking medical advice if you notice sudden hair loss, as this can be a sign of a hormonal shift. This can be proven by a doctor who can examine your hormone levels. Another option is to incorporate a hair scalp serum into your routine to add some thickness and growth. While this won't solve your hair part overnight, it's an easy solution you can implement daily for long-term results. If adding another product to your routine is too much to handle, you can also opt for hair supplements, including those containing biotin, and vitamins A, C, D and E.

Founder and head of research and development for Harklinikken hair regrowth clinics Lars Skjoth reveals to the Los Angeles Times how you can implement specific lifestyle changes to slow down hair loss or prevent it altogether. These include hairstyle changes like avoiding hair extensions and limiting your usage of heated tools. Repeated use of extensions can pull on your hair and cause breakage, as can frequent use of hair dryers and other heated styling tools. Other changes you can make include not sleeping with wet hair and prolonged use of dry shampoo. Limiting these occurrences will help your hair stay as healthy as possible and avoid shedding.