3 Reasons Why One Side Of Your Hair Is Thinner (And How To Fix It)

So you’ve began to notice that one side of your hair is thinner than the other. But, what gives? Why does this happen? In this blog post I’m going to cover the 3 main reasons why you may be experiencing this strange occurrence in your hair, as well as give you 3 different solution options to fix it.

Believe it or not, this is actually much more common than you may think. Because of the reasons I’ll explain below, the majority of people experience one side of their hair becoming thinner than the other at some point in their lives.

As a hairstylist, I saw this occurrence almost daily behind the chair.

Why is my hair thinner on one side?

Though unpleasant, this occurrence is actually pretty common. I have broken this phenomenon down to 3 different explanations for why one side of your hair may be thinner than the other side.

Once you know why your hair is thinner on one side, it will be much easier to find a solution once and for all.

1. Your part is causing your hair to thin

The number one most common cause for one side of your hair to be thinner than the other is because of where you part your hair.

Everyday life exposes our hair to stressors that can cause breakage and thinning.

When we wear our hair parted the same way for prolonged periods of time, (for years or since we can remember) the smaller side of the part tends to thin out and the larger side stays thicker.

The reason this happens is because the smaller side of your part has less hair to protect it. Have you ever heard of the phrase safety in numbers? This applies to hair as well.

The breakage can be caused from a number of different factors. Some common examples are: environmental exposures (the sun), styling habits (clips and ponytails), or even the side of your head that you sleep on.

See my post here for different types of breakage causes for other examples of why you may be experiencing breakage.

2. Hair doesn’t grow evenly all over your head

If your hair has been thinner on one side, or on one spot of your head for as long as you can remember, AND you frequently switch your part, than this just may be how your hair grows in.

Not every square inch of our heads have the exact same number of hair follicles. Sometimes we have thinner or finer spots naturally.

Most people naturally have baby hairs and/or thinner hair around your hairline and by your temple. This is totally normal!

I had a client once that had tons of hair on the back right corner of her head. I always had to texturize it much more than the rest because it was significantly thicker than the rest of her hair. She said it had been like that since she was a child and she had just gotten used to it.

3. Hair thins sporadically, not evenly

When our hair is actively thinning, it doesn’t usually thin evenly. Men especially will usually have a “bad side” as they begin losing their hair, or even patches of bald spots.

The pattern of the thinning in this case is based on what hair follicles die off. Depending on the cause of the hair loss, it may fall out in patches or even chunks.

There are MANY different medical issues that can cause hair loss. Some common examples are: medications, surgery, child birth, sickness, stress, hormone/thyroid imbalances, quitting smoking, weight loss, depression, eating habits, and anything else that affects your body.

If the thinning is new, the first thing I would do personally is take a trip to your doctor.

Your hair may be trying to tell you something. Hormones and thyroids, or something else may be off and requiring attention. Your doctor can help you find the culprit for your hair loss.

Check out my post here for some options that may help with thinning hair, but if it is falling out drastically and you don’t know why, then a trip to your doctor is a good idea.

Solutions for thinner hair on one side

Okay, now that we’ve covered the likely reason why your hair is thinner on one side, let’s talk about the solutions.

As I mentioned earlier, if your hair is actively thinning, the first thing you should do is take a trip to your doctor to make sure there isn’t a serious underlining condition that is causing your hair to thin.

***Since I’m sharing the products that I love to use with you guys, this page includes affiliate links to these products. If you take action and purchase a product through clicking one of my links, I’ll make some commission money from it at no extra cost to you. This enables me to be able to continue giving you awesome hair tips, so thanks! ***

1. Switch your part to protect thin hair

I know for some people, switching your part can feel like an identity crisis. But realistically my number one recommendation to solve this issue is to change your part.

If one side is significantly thinner than the other, I would keep it switched for a while. You need to give the smaller side a break until the hair has evened out. And the truth is, this could take a while.

If you’ve only just noticed a little thinning or strange behavior on the smaller side (like new cowlicks), then I suggest switching your part frequently.

I actually switch my part every time I shampoo my hair. This helps to avoid running into this issue at all.

Switching your part will also help to give you more volume on top, and who doesn’t love a little extra volume?!

What if I can’t switch my part due to a cowlick?

So as I come back and am editing this post, I wanted to add a section on what to do if you have a strong cowlick and have a hard time switching your part.

This may be the reason why you’ve had to part your hair in the same spot, and it can be really difficult to navigate. But I do still recommend trying your best to switch your part to avoid the one side of your hair from becoming too thin.

While cowlicks likely won’t ever go away, there are things you can do to switch your part. The hair gets used to being worn in the same direction, and it can adjust with some training.

Try the following to help your hair stay parted on the opposite side:

• Blow dry your hair: Blow drying the hair the way you want it to lay will help the hair to stay down.
• Use products: Using products like a blow dry gel before blow drying, as well as a strong hold hair spray on top will help the hair to stay down.
• Use clips: Using bobby pins or hair clips will help to train the hair to go the opposite way.
• Go deep with the part: Going deep to the opposite side will help by increasing the weight of the hair. The more weight, the more likely the hair will stay down.
• Texturize the cowlick at the root: This may sound a little wild, but using thinning shears right at the root of the hair in the center of the cowlick will help to weaken it. This is a haircutting secret that will reduce the amount of hair, reducing the “strength in numbers.” A word of caution though, use this method only if all other methods aren’t doing it for you. When the hairs grow back in that you have texturized, they may stand straight up.

2. Thickening hair products

Aside from changing your part, you can also incorporate some hair products that not only help to promote new hair growth, but that will add some fullness to the hair you currently have. If needed, you can use thickening products on the thinner side, and not on the other side.

• My favorite shampoo and conditioner for thickening hair is Paul Mitchells Lemon Sage set. Not only does it add some umph, it smells fantastic.

• Next you can try the Thickening Spray Gel by Aquage. This is a spray gel that you apply when your hair is wet. I find it works best if you blow dry the hair afterwards.

• My final hair product recommendation is a Texture Spray made by Amika. This is a powder texture spray that you apply to dry hair. It is very similar to dry shampoo, and adds fullness, texture, and body throughout your hair.

• As far as supplements go, Biotin and Collagen will help promote hair growth. I have seen great results from the liquid supplements instead of the pills or tablets, as I think our bodies break down the liquid easier.

• Minoxidil is a chemical that works to fight hair loss, depending on the reason for the thinning. It’s what is in most medicated hair loss products. It needs to be used religiously to work, and will stop working if you stop using it.

I have recently heard about a dermatologist that does oral minoxidil micro-dosing for hair loss, but I do not know much about this. It may be something worth bringing up to your doctor!

3. Visit a hair loss clinic

If your hair is thinning on more than one side and switching your part does not help, take a trip to a hair loss clinic for an evaluation. They will evaluate what may be causing the hair loss, and what they can do to treat it.

At this type of clinic, they often use laser treatments and PRP injections. PRP is done by taking the platelets from your blood and inject them into the dying hair follicles. From my understanding, it is similar to stem cells.

I will say that it’s better to start treatments sooner than later. If your hair follicles have been dead for too long, they may not be able to be brought back.

Conclusion

Though unpleasant, hair thinning on one side of your head is actually not uncommon.

The most common reason for thinning on one side is that you haven’t switched your part in too long. Switching your part regularly will evenly protect the hairs on your head. The hairs on the smaller side are always the hairs that will thin first. This is due to the safety in numbers theory.

You also may grow more hair on one side than on the other side naturally. We do not have an even number of hairs throughout our entire scalp.

When it comes to thinning, hair does not thin evenly. It often falls out in patches. If you begin to notice patches or circles of hair loss, take a trip to your doctor. There are many medical reasons as to why your hair may be thinning. Your body might be trying to tell you that there is an imbalance or problem somewhere that you’re unaware of.

In the meantime try some over the counter products for thickening the hair, as well as pumping up on your vitamins.

Hair loss clinics may be helpful in determining the root of the problem and finding the best course of action for your case. This is all dependent on the reason why your hair has thinned.

Leave a comment with any questions you may have regarding this topic, or if you have experience with it yourself! And be sure to subscribe below if you want to make everyday a good hair day!

Last updated 11/11/24