All About Hairline Surgery

Written by: Dr. Carlos Puig

Having a high hairline or prominent forehead may appear disproportionate to some, or offset the harmony of the face. The good news is that hairline surgery can make a receding hairline less noticeable. Hairline surgery is performed by hair grafting or forehead reduction procedures.

Hairline Surgery with Hair Grafting

If you have a large forehead caused from a receding hairline, hairline surgery can give you back your old look. This type of surgery is done after hair loss and is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures for men. Follicular units of hair from other parts of the scalp are taken out and grafted in front of your natural hairline. The surgeon simply lowers the hairline to the way it was before, or changes it slightly to suit the patient’s preferences. Hair grafting is also an option for men and women who prefer their hairline be lowered for other reasons.

Hairline Surgery with Forehead Reduction
If you have a prominent forehead and wish to make it appear smaller, you may be a candidate for forehead reduction surgery. Instead of bothering with your hair, a portion of the forehead is surgically removed. The forehead is then pulled and sewn together, creating a forehead that is much smaller in proportion to the rest of your face. This type of surgery may cause scarring as a result of skin being removed from the forehead.

Benefits of Hairline Surgery
Not only will hairline surgery make you look younger and give the face more of a proportional appearance, a lower hairline reduces a low brow without doing a brow lift. A large forehead is a focus point to the eye and calls a lot of attention to a lower brow.

What to Expect Before Surgery
When you visit a doctor to discuss hairline surgery, they will discuss with you in detail what you should expect from the surgery. This is the time to discuss your questions and concerns with the doctor. It is not necessary to shave any hair off before surgery. Because of this, the recovery time is short, and you can go out in public fairly soon after surgery.

What to Expect After Surgery
After receiving forehead reduction or a hairline lowering surgical procedure, there may be swelling or bruising on the head, forehead, cheeks and eye. It may be a couple of weeks after surgery before the bruising or swelling is gone, but the recovery time can vary with from person to person. After surgery, you may be instructed to use ice compresses to help with swelling and pain. During the night, the forehead will be wrapped tightly to minimize the swelling. The doctor may prescribe you a prescription for antibiotics and pain, although some patients do not ever need the pain medications.

If you are considering hairline surgery, contact a certified cosmetic surgeon or a surgeon that specializes in hairline restoration to set up a consultation so that they can answer any questions you might have. During your consultation, your physician will go over any risks associated with the procedure, and show you which areas would be corrected in order to produce the most natural-looking results. You may also be able to view pictures of people who have had a hairline surgery with hair grafting or hairline surgery with forehead reduction. This may give you a clearer picture of the kind of results you can expect to see from your surgery.