Hairlines

Proper selection of donor sites and graft sizes are extremely important aspects of the surgery. Design of the hairline and placement of the recipient sites are also crucial to an aesthetically successful outcome. Some doctors create the same standard hairline on every patient. This practice is less than ideal. Natural hairlines vary from one individual to another as much as facial features do. The hair transplant specialist must be aware of the spectrum of variations that normally occur. Few natural hairlines are symmetrical; therefore, one should not attempt to create a perfectly balanced hairline, as it is distinctly unnatural looking. Men of European descent with naturally full heads of hair often have receded corners at the temple or a slightly pointed hairline. Men from the Middle East and Asia often have wide, flat hairlines with a gentler curve. Men of African descent tend to have a very straight, flat hairline.

Errors can occur when over-demanding patients or over-aggressive doctors place the hairline too low on the forehead, or restore the juvenile hairline. The patient must have an active voice in all decisions concerning the placement and design of the hairline, but it is up to the physician to educate the patient so that his decisions will be appropriate in the future as well as the present. Faulty decisions, once acted upon, will be permanent. The only remedy for a hairline that has been placed too low is to remove the grafts surgically; a situation that is better avoided than treated after the error has been made.