Forehead Reduction and Female Hairline Lowering
Forehead reduction is used to decrease the size of bare skin on the forehead. Typically this is done by making a tricophytic incision (putting an incision slightly in front of the hair) and then removing a segment of skin. In order to facilitate closure of the skin, the scalp is released with a variety of incisions to advance the scalp forward. Patients with very “tight” scalps may have less amount of forehead reduction than those with very mobile scalps. For patients with low set brows, the brows can be lifted if desired to also help facilitate closure of the incision.
A high hairline can be caused by genetics or previous plastic surgery procedures such as face or brow lifts. Using follicle replacement the hairline can be lowered creating a smaller face. Female hairline lowering is the lowering of the hairline to where the hair follicles meet at the forehead. By implanting hair follicles into the hairline area creates hair growth which ultimately shrinks the appearance of the forehead and overall face size. The positioning, angle and orientation of the follicles is important to creating a natural shape of the hairline.
Forehead reduction is most popular in female patients with larger foreheads but can be used in select male patients.
Dr. Shah and Dr. Sameea often combine this technique with hair transplantation to hide the scar. Dr. Shah also makes the incision here slightly irregular to mimic a natural hairline. The procedure itself can be performed either in an office setting or in a formal surgical suite setting. The hair transplantation is typically staged at a different setting to increase the chance of the hair grafts survival.
Non Surgical options
Non surgical options for forehead reduction are limited to the following options:
- SMP– a skilled artist can lower a hairline a few mms in some areas without it looking obvious. The hair does not have to be shaved.
- Hairstyles– A slightly forward hairstyle can help shorten a long forehead
- Lifting Brows– Lifting the brows with botox or fillers has the illusion of making the forehead look relatively smaller (select cases)
FAQs
Can forehead reduction be performed in a young male?
Forehead reduction in a young male should always be taken under consideration the age and future hair loss being considered. Almost all men will continue to lose hairs over time and a thorough understanding should be obtained prior to this. I reduce brow bones through either a scalp or hairline incision so this would not necessarily be advantageous.
Can you describe the recovery from forehead reduction?
Typically the recovery involves swelling along the forehead and scalp. We typically advise at least 3 days to a week prior to returning to work.
Can I loosen a tight scalp?
Some patients attempt to mobilize the scalp by scalp exercises and manually moving the scalp. This may help some patients improve their mobility to a limited degree.