An abnormally high hairline or a broad forehead might draw attention away from a person’s generally balanced facial features, also lowering self-esteem. Most of these individuals go for haircuts that hide their high hairlines, and they would never contemplate wearing their hair backward in a ponytail. A high hairline can be caused by genetics, hair loss, or even unfortunate accidents. Unfortunately, many people with a high hairline are unaware that a technique that reduces the height of the forehead and efficiently lowers the hairline is available for both men and women.

Hairline lowering, commonly known as forehead reduction, is a cosmetic procedure that minimizes the size of the forehead by shifting the hairline one to two inches forward. To thicken the hairline and hide the surgical scar, it can be paired with hairline lowering surgery and a hair transplant.

How is it possible to narrow a broad forehead?

A broad forehead can be addressed in one of two ways: by replacing lost hair or by removing extra skin. Hair transplant surgery has been more common in recent decades and can be a viable alternative, however, the results can take months to appear and can be less natural. The other alternative is a less well-known surgical approach that is reasonably straightforward and doable, resulting in a reduction of the forehead by 1.5 to 3 cm in just one surgical treatment with instant cosmetic results and minimum time off work.

In some circumstances, the only way to solve the problem is to use a combination of the two techniques: removing the skin and transplanting the hair. That’s precisely why the procedure is usually paired with hairline lowering surgery and a hair transplant. Read more about the forehead reduction procedure.

Who makes a good forehead reduction candidate?

Women with a naturally high hairline or a big forehead who have thick hair and no personal or familial history of hair loss are good candidates for hairline reduction surgery. If they have a thick hairline and no personal or family history of hair loss, men with a high hairline or big forehead may be suitable candidates for hairline reduction surgery as well. In any case, the candidate must have a healthy scalp. Aside from these, the following conditions make a good candidate;

• Individuals with disproportionately thick hair compared to their hairline height.
• Those who want to enhance their facial proportions and have low or thick brows.
• Those with a large forehead who want it to be narrowed.
• Those who have just had a hair transplant procedure and want to improve their hairline.
• Individuals who desire to get rid of their high hairline.
• Those who have undergone a brow lift and wish to bring their hairline forward.

Male patients are generally not eligible for forehead reduction operation as they usually suffer from male pattern hair loss after in the long term. In that case, male patients may consider having a hair transplant surgery to achieve the looks that they want. FUE and DHI techniques almost always provide fulfilling results to reduce a wide forehead. Also, these two techniques do not require incisions; so, the recovery period is relatively shorter than forehead reduction surgery. The only relatively disadvantage of hair transplant is that the results will be observable in 4-5 months and final results will be visible after one year. In case of unshaven hair transplant, operated area can be hidden easily.

How is the recovery phase like?

The forehead reduction procedure, also known as reduction frontoplasty, may be conducted in around 2 hours under local anesthetic, without the need for general anesthesia. A long-acting local anesthetic is given along the incision line to enhance patient comfort immediately after surgery, and a pressure dressing is applied. Following this procedure, the patient is wrapped with a compression bandage and can go home shortly after. During the first week, wearing a bandana is suggested. When the scar matures and hair grows on it over time, the scar will be concealed and virtually invisible. This will happen within the first 3-6 months after surgery.

Other than those mentioned above, there may be minor to significant swelling in the forehead and scalp, as well as around the eye and cheek area, following a forehead reduction treatment. The majority of the swelling goes down within a few days following surgery and is gone within a couple of weeks. Mild bruising around the eyes is also common, although it is harmless and does not impair vision. Around and right beneath the hairline, numbness or diminished feeling should be expected. This is a short-term issue that should be resolved within a few weeks to months. After a few days, many patients are well enough to return to work and can hide their scars with a scarf or a wide hat.

It is often a satisfactory cosmetic procedure without leaving any scar tissue after a few months following the surgery however make sure to choose an experienced medical team to get excellent long-term outcomes.

How to choose your surgeon?

Forehead reduction is known as a complex medical procedure however the skillset of your surgeon determines the natural-looking results of your operation. Firstly, you may want to choose where you will have the operation. There are various countries that provide forehead reduction surgeries such as the USA, the UK, Hungary, Germany, Turkey, Thailand, Philippines, and so on. The cost of North American and European counties are relatively higher than other countries. However, that does not mean that affordable countries provide inferior service. On contrary, especially in Turkey, it is possible to see hundreds of successful forehead reduction results. You should be sure that your surgeon possesses at least one internationally-accredited certificate. Also, you should be careful about the facility that they operation will be conducted.

Frequent check-ups are really important after the surgery, be sure that your agreement includes at least 6-months, preferably lifetime, of an ongoing assistance. Other than these points just try to have fun as you will achieve your dream appearance soon! Have a good luck!