Lowering the hairline
As many as 20% of all women have what can be described as a high hairline. It usually is a hereditary characteristic. Most modern hairstylists are trained to recognize this and will style the hair combed forward in bangs and thereby disguise it. A high hairline is considered a masculine trait.
The high inherited hairlines that we often see from women of Anglo Saxon ancestry can be exemplified by the history and paintings of Queen Elizabeth I who reigned for 45 years. She had a naturally high hairline, which is revealed in many portraits.
The female hairline is variable in position. However, a “normal” female hairline is typically positioned 5 to 6.5cm above the brows and usually begins at some point where the scalp slopes from a more horizontal position to a vertical one. This optimal position allows for ease of hairstyling and provides facial harmony and balance.
Hairline lowering (also called scalp advancement or forehead reduction) involves removing a section of the skin on the forehead (between the hairline and eyebrows) and pulling the scalp forward between 1.0 cm and 2.5 cm.
Procedure hairline lowering
- Surgical drawing—The surgical drawing is made:
- Local anesthesia—Local anesthesia is given.
- Incision—An incision is made along the hairline. The incision is made just inside the hairline, in an irregular fashion, to avoid a straight scar. Straight scars are more conspicuous than irregularly curved ones. Also the blade is held in such a direction that about six weeks postoperatively the hair starts growing through the scar, making it almost invisible.
- Removal—A section of forehead skin at the hairline is removed.
- Mobilisation—The scalp will be mobilized to the back of the head and pulled forward as much as needed. Normally 1.5 -2 cm of advancement is no problem.
- Fixation—The scalp is fixed to the bone using Endotines to prevent it from pulling back. This device is made of bioabsorbable material and dissolves over time.
