Something that we dread as we gather a few years under our belts.... the receding hairline. Like with everything we put up on this blog, we'll premise it by saying *don't worry*! If you have the right barber, whom you trust, you can work through any of these concerns together to achieve the right style and cut to suit your overall look, lifestyle, hair type and personality. You may not be blessed with the cascading locks necessary for a man bun, or the hirsute prowess for a bushy beard, but if you feel good in your skin and happy with your haircut, the confidence you get from it is far more valuable that getting a fleeting trend of a haircut.

For receding hairlines, there are certain things you shouldn't do: slicking it back will accentuate the widow's peak quite strongly, so unless you're going for the Dracula vibe, it should be avoided.

Avoid slicking back as this can emphasise the widow's peak.

Equally, if you think your hair is thinning as well as receding, then you should avoid slick look water based pomades, as this will group the hairs together, giving the appearance of sparsely positioned clumps.

It's better to use a clay for this, as the product will attach to the individual hairs, essentially giving it an extra layer, therefore making it look thicker and more plentiful.

A good hair style if you have a receding hair line is by sweeping it over to the side - it will draw attention away from the brow, and to the actual parting which has been cut to neat and tidy perfection (if you come to Ruffians, that is).

Make sure your barber leaves a bit of extra weight and length on the top, as there can then be more versatility in your styling afterwards. Keep it textured by getting your barber to blunt cut, and have the back and sides shorter, with a soft, scissored texture. If your hair is shorter, then opting for a French Crop can give the illusion of thickness, and is easy to maintain: take a small amount of our Rough Matt Clay, spread evenly throughout your hands and work into the hair from the roots for a tousled, natural look. Because it's quite a short haircut, it can look smart without having to take too much care over it.

At Ruffians we include a significant amount of time for consultations within our appointments, so any concerns you have can be brought up with your barber.