Can The Temporal Lines Of The Forehead Be Reduced?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I’m a man and have very prominent temple lines (superior temporal lines), I think they are called. It causes the arteries at the side of my head to constantly bulge which looks unsightly. Is it possible to flatten, or create a channel in, a small part of each temple line to relieve the pressure on the arteries and thus reduce the swelling/bulging? 

A: It is possible and not uncommon to do temporal line reduction as part of forehead reshaping surgery or as a stand alone procedure. However a prominent temporal line is likely not the source of your prominent temporal arteries and I would not expect the bony reduction to solve their bulging appearance. Prominent temporal arteries are treated by a multilevel ligation technique which can be done at the same time as bony temporal line reduction.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana