High hairlines can make the forehead appear disproportionately large and cause self-consciousness—and are often disguised with bangs or similar hairstyling strategies.
Hair Restoration Overview
To solve these concerns, Dr. Daniel Rousso, a board-certified plastic surgeon and a founding member of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery and Dr. Austin Adams a double board certified plastic surgeon, offers hairline lowering surgery to improve the harmony of the face. Also known as hairline advancement, this procedure minimizes a large forehead and improves facial balance.
What does Forehead Reduction Treat?
Forehead reduction can correct a high or an overly large forehead while protecting the natural flow of your hair. The procedure is ideal for patients who find it difficult to conceal a high forehead with hairstyles and would like a softer, more oval facial shape. A typical hairline is approximately two inches above the brows for women and about two to three inches above the brows for men.
Men may not be candidates due to age-related male pattern hair loss, which can interfere with the results. Candidates for hairline advancement should not have a personal or family history of progressive hair loss. Most importantly, candidates must have a sufficient degree of scalp laxity to undergo this procedure.
How does Forehead Reduction Work?
Hairline lowering surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis. During the procedure, Dr. Rousso and Dr. Adams excises lax tissue of the forehead and/or scalp and then advances the scalp forward to create a lowered hairline. Trichophytic incisions help reduce the visibility of the scar, meaning they are placed at an angle that allows the hair to grow through the new scar. Regrowth occurs both in front of and through the hairline scar so the results look as natural as possible.
Two-stage forehead reduction
Some candidates have unusually high hairlines and need significant advancement. For these candidates and for those who have a tight scalp, a two-stage procedure may be performed. In the first stage, balloon-like expanders are inserted under the scalp. These are progressively inflated over six to eight weeks to stretch the scalp for the second stage of the operation. During this stage, Dr. Rousso and Dr Adams removes the expander, excises the excess skin, and pulls the scalp forward to lower the hairline.
Forehead reduction with hair transplantation
If candidates do not have sufficient scalp laxity for the traditional approach and are not candidates for tissue expansion, follicular unit hair grafts may be used to create a similar effect. Dr. Rousso and Dr Adams may perform either FUT (follicular unit transplantation) or FUE (follicular unit extraction) to lower the hairline. Additional procedures are often needed for 12 to 18 months to ensure the desired hair density, however, hair density may be less than the results achieved through hairline lowering procedures.
What to Expect After Forehead Reduction
With forehead reduction, hair is not trimmed and doesn’t go through a “shock” phase that’s typically seen after transplants. The hair stays long and can be styled within a week or two after the procedure. Most patients will experience some numbness and/or itching of the scalp during recovery. As the procedure is designed for hair to grow through the incision, your hair will hide any scarring. This will continue to improve as months pass and is virtually imperceptible with time.
Why Choose Rousso Adams Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic for your forehead reduction?
As a world-renowned plastic surgeon specializing in the face and neck, Dr. Rousso has more than 30 years of experience and has gained worldwide recognition for his contributions to the fields of plastic surgery and hair restoration. Dr. Adams is double board-certified in facial plastic surgery and otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, making him an expert in facial anatomy. He is an active member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery.
Dr. Rousso and Dr. Adams will never give you a result that looks artificial; your results will always look subtle, natural, and inherent. Our facility uses state-of-the-art medical equipment and many of our staff have been with Dr. Rousso for more than 20 years. We offer a patient experience above and beyond what you will find elsewhere, including concierge services on par with the best five-star hotels. Our friendly staff can help you arrange travel and hotel accommodations, lab appointments, sitters, aftercare, and many other services from start to finish. If you are considering a forehead reduction in Birmingham AL, contact us today.