Transplanting into the front hairline and temples is the most common and popular hair transplant area, and thankfully has one of the highest success rates and relatively easy to do, yet tricky to perfect. Receding backwards from the front hairline is incredibly common in men of all nationalities, and usually the first place that hair loss is noticed. Hairs at the front of the head have some of the largest numbers of androgen receptors so can be the most affected by the hormone DHT that causes hair loss, and are often the first hairs you will lose.
As the temples and hairline recede, it gives a premature ageing effect to the male appearance adding years to the persons perceived age, but this thankfully means the reverse is also true – having a hair transplant to replace or bring forward the existing line can make the recipient look significantly younger, having a positive effect on an individual’s self-confidence and dramatically improving mental health. This is partly because of the mirror effect – what a person sees in the mirror is part of daily life and becomes the mental image they have of themselves and is often responsible for first impressions of others when meeting them.
Hairline transplants generally have the highest success rates with smaller numbers of hair grafts needed, and the biggest percentage of follicles regrowing due to generally having better blood supply to the skin around the hairline area as opposed to the crown which has far less blood supply in general, this is due to the facial muscles in the forehead needing a good blood supply.
Several factors can make up a natural hairline transplant, the primary one being the shape and position of the line itself. An experienced surgeon should discuss this in detail with the patient to clearly understand their desired outcome before the procedure starts, as patients being unhappy with a hairline position can be tricky and time consuming to fix with later surgery, and surgeons in a hurry to get going with the procedure may rush though this vital step. Some patients may want a more natural looking curved line that reflects their age, and others a more squared off boxy appearance with a crisper line, so our advice to patients is to find something like a makeup pencil and try drawing on some different shaped hairlines before the procedure in a mirror, finding one that you feel suits you and taking a selfie, then taking that along to the doctor performing the procedure to show him.
the only limiting factors to the position of the hairline are firstly does the patient have enough grafts available in their donor area to properly cover the area up to the hairline to a good density, and the second factor is the muscle in the forehead that raises your eyebrows and causes wrinkles in the forehead, this is known as the frontalis muscle. It is not possible to transplant new hairs on top of this muscle as any movement would cause the new hair follicles to be pushed out of the head, so the new hairline has to be positioned in such a way that it finishes above the place that the muscle starts, and this differs from patient to patient, so a consultation is important to confirm this and ensure the patient has realistic expectations of what is possible for their new hairline position.
Other key factors to producing a natural hairline are ensuring the hairs that make up the very front of the hairline are positioned in a naturally random manner, some should be in front of others and definitely not in straight lines (some surgeons put in small zig-zags to create this effect) with single individual hair follicles and not follicular groups (with multiple hair strands) at the very front to mimic natural growth patterns and avoid the ‘hair plug’ look.
What is also vital is the angle that new hairs are implanted in which is determined by the angle of the incision that is made for the hair, as hairs do not simply grow up at 90 degrees to the head, they grown in different directions depending on their location on the scalp, and whatever angle the surgeon makes the incision into the skin for the new hair to go into, that's the angle the new hair will grow out, and this needs to match the existing hair so that the new hair once grown can be brushed and styled in a natural manner.
Hairline surgery is done at the MY-Hair UK clinics in London and Manchester exclusively using the FUE method, purely under local anaesthetic and is completed in a day, usually taking 5-8 hours depending on the amount of hair grafts needed. The typical recovery time is 10-12 days, with the first of the new hair growth visible after 3 months and full results typically taking 12-15 months.
If you are considering a hair transplant, then start by arranging a free consultation with us at My-Hair UK by clicking the button below for a confidential chat with an expert.
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