Do you have a high or excessively large forehead which you believe detracts from your otherwise proportional features? An excessively high forehead may be due to several reasons including genetic factors, hair loss or from prior surgery such as a coronal brow lift or rarely an endoscopic brow lift. A high hairline or excessively high forehead can heighten an individual's self conscious and limit the number hairstyles which s/he can wear to help camouflage the large forehead.
Hairline Lowering can help you reduce the size of your forehead.
Hairline lowering doesn't reduce the forehead, but rather moves down the location where your hair grows in. Also known as scalp advancement, this procedure may be performed during facial feminization surgery. It allows an individual to have their frontal hairline advanced upto certain distances, depending on variables such as preoperative hairline height, scalp laxity and patient preference.
Women are generally more ideal candidates than men.
Women with a high hairline and large forehead.
Men with thick hairline and no history of hair loss can also become ideal candidates.
Individuals with flexible forehead skin.
Hairline lowering refers to forehead reduction either by surgical hairline advancement or through hair grafting.
Surgical hairline advancement, as the name suggests, includes a surgery that takes place on the forehead. A part of the skin next to the hairline, generally not more than 2-3 cm thick, is removed. After the excess skin is removed, remaining part is stitched back. The result is a lowered hairline. The surgery results in a scar that is hidden by hair grafting in case it is also performed. There is a biodegradable scalp that is put behind the skin. It attaches the skin with the muscles beneath so as to avoid scarring.
Grafting hair is the alternate procedure for hairline lowering. The technique involves grafting hair in front of the hairline. It is, at times, used as an independent technique to reduce the forehead. This is done by increasing layers of hair above the natural hairline. This method is non-surgical in nature.
The different kinds of hairline lowering techniques also differ in terms of price and need of the patient.
Drinking alcohol and smoking should be avoided.
Do not take any anti-inflammatory medicines. It leads to bleeding.
The diet should be very nutritious before and after the surgery so as to facilitate a smooth recovery. Patients are recommended to increase intake of supplements that have Vitamin C.
Cosmetic procedures primarily aim to enhance the body of the patients, in order for them to look more appealing. Hence, expectations can often be unreal for an individual undergoing a cosmetic surgery procedure such as hairline lowering.
The chief aim of a hairline lowering surgery is reduce the size of one’s forehead by shifting down the position of the hairline. Also called forehead reduction, this procedure improves the balance of facial features by bringing the scalp lower.
In case an individual does not want to opt for such a surgery, s/he may chose other similar surgical procedures.
The alternative treatment would be hair transplantation. While the procedure is available for both men and women, it can be more effective in women, since the hairline doesn’t continue to recede at the same rate as for men.
Hair Graft
This is a typically a less invasive alternative which involves transplanting around 1200 to as many as 2400 hair strands, a little below where the original hairline begins. The transplanted hairs typically fall out within 3 weeks, then start to regrow at 4 months, taking a full 10 months or longer for final results, and is thus a more long drawn procedure as compared to a hairline lowering procedure.
Generally, there are not many non surgical alternatives for such a surgery other than wigs or styling the hair in a manner which covers most of the forehead.
Scars are inevitable in a hairline lowering procedure that involves surgery. But the extent of the visibility of the scar depends on a number of factors, such as the scarring tendency (color of skin, texture of skin etc.) of the patient, precautions taken after the procedure and the skills of the surgeon. After the skin is stitched back, there is a recovery period of 7-10 days during which the patient needs to take excessive care so as to avoid making the scars more prominent. With appropriate care, the scars can diminish in 6-12 months.
Choosing the right doctor from an accredited hospital is necessary. A good surgeon will be qualified and experienced. He/she will make sure that the scar is least noticeable.
The most common risk of hairline lowering is the formation of scar after the skin is stitched back. The ideal way to tackle it is to take the utmost care of it. Right after the procedure, do not do anything that will lead to stretching of the scar or opening of stitches, such as exercising, running, etc. for at least a week.
In addition, other temporary complications of hairline lowering include:
Your choice of surgeon is directly related to the hospital the surgeon is associated with. A credible and renowned hospital will not hire doctors without adequate qualifications. In addition, you can also look into the educational background of the doctor. Many doctors working in good hospitals in medical tourism destinations have received their education and training from institutions in the west. Such a doctor will treat you with standards matching the western ones.
In addition, you should ask the doctor certain questions to gain confidence in his/her method of treatment relating to the medical know-how, the procedure he/she specialises in, and his prior experience in performing the procedure.
While performing the surgery, a surgeon has to evaluate the extent of skin on his forehead that can be removed without causing a lot of stretching. This depends on the flexibility of your forehead skin. Then, the surgeon cuts a strip of the skin along the hairline, not more than 4-5 cm thick, removes it and then stitches it back. The stitching back part is crucial and central to the procedure. A well made choice about the surgeon is imperative for the stitch to made without complications. A qualified surgeon will know how to hide the scars through the hair grafting method.