A mature hairline is the hairline of an older male. Typically, boys and young men have a lower hairline than adult men. The hairline recedes slightly with passing decades, resulting in a wider space between eyebrows and hairline. Usually, the mature hairline occurs between the ages of 17 and 29, although it may vary considerably from individual to individual. The average space between the forehead and eyebrows for men is 2.4 to 3.2 inches (6 to 8 centimeters.)
A mature hairline is not male pattern baldness. It is simply a part of aging, like wrinkles. A receding hairline that is caused by male pattern baldness is much higher and more distinct than a mature hairline. In fact, most men can wrinkle their forehead to find where the juvenile hairline was. A juvenile hairline probably touched the highest wrinkle.
Not all men lose their juvenile hairline. In some cases, the hairline remains intact for the majority of their lifetime. In other cases, the hairline may recede so slowly that it only becomes apparent late in life.
Individuals who suffer from receding hairlines sometimes choose hairline restoration procedures. If the individual is a young man, in his 20s or 30s, he may want to have the hairline from his youth. In many cases, hair loss specialists will advise against this, since it can look unnatural on an older man.
The actual mature hairline shape may be regular, irregular, or peaked. Hairlines are very different depending on the shape of the head and face as well as the hair itself. A regular hairline is symmetrical, usually having smooth contours in a defined line. An irregular one has dips and valleys, usually not in a symmetric pattern, around the forehead.
A widow's peak is a hairline which has a point or dip in the middle of the forehead. The widow's peak can be quite subtle or very defined. In some cases, it begins at the temples and gradually moves downward, creating an M-shaped hairline. In other cases, the hairline is rounded with a small tip at the middle, forming a peak.
Usually, the shape of the juvenile hairline, whether it is regular, irregular, or a widow's peak, is retained throughout the aging process of a maturing hairline. The hairline may change slightly, but usually only in thickness. If a mature hairline is in fact male pattern baldness, the receding hairline may look like a widow's peak in the early stages, but will eventually thin out to an obvious receding hairline.