Hairline Correction




When endeavoring down the path to a more feminine face, we have to consider the common differences between the male and female appearance and then evaluate each patient for these distinct characteristics. The surgical hairline advancement/lowering procedure can lower the overly high hairline in one single step like no other procedure. 

The hairline is undoubtedly an area where the difference between the sexes is quite noticeable.  Genetically born males typically have higher hairlines than do genetically born females.  In addition, it is common for the male hairline to recede, especially in the areas just above the temples.


Gender Differences

Many FFS surgeons and patients believe that on average, women have lower hairlines in the middle than men but this is not actually true. In fact, women have higher hairlines in the middle than men (you can read more about this towards the bottom of the page under “Misconceptions”).

Of course men often get male-pattern baldness which can raise the hairline, and some men have naturally high hairlines. But the average male hairline, when balding is not present, is lower in the middle than the average female hairline.

If you look at the overall shape of the hairline, masculine hairlines tend to have an M shape or square Π shape, while feminine hairlines tend to be rounded like this: Ո.

Many women also have what I call “ghost corners”. These are hairline corners like you see in the masculine Π and M shapes, but they are filled with fine downy hair rather than being naked. And there is another, rarer feminine hairline shape that is particularly common in South Asia that I call the “omega” hairline which comes forwards into little peaks in the corners. It has this shape Ω

Feminizing hairline lowering, or scalp advancement as it is also known, is ideal for facial gender confirmation candidates who may have a naturally higher hairline and/or larger forehead. It is also not uncommon for us to lower, or reshape the hairline of non-transgender individuals who have receding hairlines. The objective of the procedure is to reduce the amount of height between the eyebrows and the hairline, to bring the position of the scalp forward, and to alter the shape of the hairline. The procedure is usually included within a larger set of procedures that comprise facial feminization, which is typically undertaken in one single session of long format surgery.

The surgery is performed by making a trichophytic incision along the natural hairline and then bringing the hair-bearing tissue of the scalp forward. Individual hair follicles may then be transplanted after closure to further feminize the shape of the hairline and create a more natural- looking hairline.

The most common side effect is slight facial swelling in the forehead and the eye area. It may require up to seven days for the swelling and discomfort to subside completely. Accordingly, many patients will take a week off from work, but it is possible to return to light activities after two or three days and normal activity level after a week. Patients may also experience short-term and harmless numbness near the front of the scalp, which will subside after a few months.


What Is The Difference Between Forehead Reduction And Hairline Grafting?

Hairline grafting is generally used to treat receding hairlines in men and women. As part of the surgery, the patient’s hairline (on the forehead) area is “lowered,” using a combination of surgery and hair transplants, eliminating the appearance of baldness. As part of this process, hair follicles are taken from the back or sides of the patient’s scalp and then grafted to the front hairline area, where they will then grow back naturally as they did at the donor site